Chicago Theatres: The Goodman Theatre

The Goodman Theatre – or just The Goodman, as it is known to most – is the godfather of all the Chicago theaters.

Bequeathed in 1925 by Mr. and Mrs. William O. Goodman as a tribute to their son and late local playwright Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, history saw the Goodman begin as a small repertory company and school of drama housed at the Art Institute of Chicago.

There, with its opening runs featuring some of Kenneth Goodman's own works, the Goodman established itself as a theater devoted to a diversity of productions. The Goodman commits itself to producing classic and contemporary productions, encouraging a diverse breadth of theatrical voices and community involvement.

Due to problems with the Art Institute location, such as poor acoustics and insufficient space, the Goodman found itself struggling to compete in a town of high-class productions. However, these commitments have ultimately earned the Goodman international renown within the industry. Its three-pronged mission statement – quality of productions, depth and diversity of artistic leadership and excellence in community and educational programs – has given the Goodman the direction necessary to succeed and compete for years to come.

Eventually, the Goodman Theatre outgrew its original home at the Art Institute and ownership moved it to where it currently resides. Today, as the oldest and largest not-for-profit theater in the city, the Goodman is located at 170 N. Dearborn St., in the heart of the city's pulsating downtown theatrical entertainment district.

In 2000, the Goodman Theatre moved into this custom-designed home on N. Dearborn, a remodeling of the historic 20th century Harris and Selwyn movie houses that once stood at the same location on Dearborn between Randolph and State.

After the Harris and Selwyn both individually shut down in the late 1970s, they enjoyed a short reprieve in the 1980s as Dearborn Cinemas, a single movie house with two screens. This did not last long, however, and when the Goodman Theatre Company purchased the property, both buildings of Dearborn Cinemas were razed to make room for construction of the new Goodman. Construction on the Goodman Theatre building, standing on the original site of the Harris and Selwyn, preserved the facades of each of the previous buildings and blended it into that of the new Goodman.

Today, the Goodman holds its performances in one of two modernized auditoriums: the Albert and the Owen, named after two members of the Goodman family who remain major donors to the operation.
Its history and present success ¬– not to mention the large vertical sign over its entrance, which is visible for blocks – have helped make the Goodman an indelible part of the town's theatrical heritage.




Sources:
Goodman Theatre. Wikipedia online encyclopedia. 31 October 2006. 19 November 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodman_Theatre.& gt;
Goodman Theatre Online. 2006. 14 November 2006. <http://www.goodman-theatre.org/.>
Krefft, Bryan. Goodman Theatre. Cinema Treasures.org. 2005. 14 November 2006.
<http://cinematreasures.org/theater/314/.>