Chicago Shakespeare Theater - by Regina Buccola (Paperback)

About the Book

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is widely known for vibrant productions that reflect the Bard's genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language, and depth of feeling for the human condition. Affectionately known to natives of the Windy City as "Chicago Shakes," this vanguard of Chicago's rich theatrical tradition celebrates its silver...

Book Synopsis

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is widely known for vibrant productions that reflect the Bard's genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language, and depth of feeling for the human condition. Affectionately known to natives of the Windy City as "Chicago Shakes," this vanguard of Chicago's rich theatrical tradition celebrates its silver anniversary with this bracing collection of original essays by world-renowned scholars, directors, actors, and critics.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater unveils the artistic visions and decisions that helped shape this venerable institution and examines the theater's international reputation for staging such remarkable and provocative performances. The volume brings together works by such heralded drama critics as Terry Teachout, Jonathan Abarbanel, and Michael Billington; theater industry giants like Michael Bogdanov, Edward Hall, and Simon Callow; interviews with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's own Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson; and essays by such noted figures in academe as Clark Hulse, Wendy Wall, and Michael Shapiro.

Review Quotes

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater has made a contribution of inestimable importance to the Chicago cultural scene. This fine collection of essays... is a worthy and fascinating tribute to the genius of Barbara Gaines as theater maestro extraordinaire. To quote Antony from Julius Caesar, 'When comes such another?' Or, as Enobarbus says of Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, 'Kneel down, kneel down, and wonder.'--David Bevington, University of Chicago

This collection is an enjoyable, dynamic, and occasionally stunning read.

-Matthew Kozusko, Ursinus College

As the first book about the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, this book offers a valuable resource to anyone interested in the work of this theater company. Overall the scholarship of these essays is excellent.

-Beatrice Bosco, DePaul University

About the Author

Regina Buccola is associate professor of English at Roosevelt University in Chicago. She is the author of Fairies, Fractious Women, and the Old Faith.

Peter Kanelos is an assistant professor in the department of fine and performing arts at Loyola University Chicago. He is the editor of Thunder at a Playhouse.