Where can theater happen?
Everywhere.
And Chicago is one of the best places to start. In fact, it’s ideal for the development of new work. We believe part of the University of Chicago experience is getting off of the University of Chicago campus and into the cultural scene.
Court Theatre ° Victory Gardens Theater ° Goodman Theatre ° Second City ° Northlight Theatre °Joffrey Ballet of Chicago ° About Face Theatre ° Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs ° Redmoon Theater ° Museum of Contemporary Art ° Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Students at the University have opportunities to intern at theaters throughout the city. These internship in acting, dramaturgy, arts administration, and production offer the chance to learn in a variety of environments. Our courses are frequently meeting backstage at Steppenwolf, in the lobby of the Theater Building, and we bring the North Side to the South Side every summer with our residency program, Summer Inc.
Summer Inc
The Summer Inc program began out of a desire to extend University Theater’s nurturing environment to Chicago’s professional performance community. Recognizing the importance of hospitality, particularly in a moment when the arts are faced with acute economic challenges, when basic expenses make the creation of new work more of a conceptual wish than a pragmatic reality, UC Summer Inc. invites seven companies into our artistic home. Selected groups represent the city’s boldness in its artistic approaches which has been demonstrated through projects of solo performance, clown adaptations, dance, and multi-media work. All of the new work developed reflected the University’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaborations.
Thinking About Teaching
Since 1992, University Theater has partnered with schools and social service agencies throughout the South Side of Chicago on drama and dance projects though the School Partnership Program (SPP). SPP offers students a chance to build meaningful relationships in the surrounding communities by creating sites for artistic interaction. To prepare students for this exciting work, we offer extensive training, which includes hands-on workshops with some of the best teaching artists in the country. Through SPP, UT is able to stage productions in school auditoriums, classrooms, and cafeterias, and the storytellers are children, teachers, and students. It’s a natural extension of the work we do in our own theaters.