Court Theatre is the professional theatre of the University of Chicago. Our relationship to the University of Chicago has been vital to Court Theatre’s emergence as an important Chicago area and national theatre.
Court Theatre is the University of Chicago’s Center for Classic Theatre
Dedicated to curating large-scale, interdisciplinary theatrical experiences, Court collaborates and consults with faculty on productions and audience programs. These partnerships enable us to re-examine classic texts that pose enduring and provocative questions that define the human experience.
In 2010, Court’s artistic leadership and Board of Trustees defined a new vision for Court Theatre, and a new way of approaching what it means for a professional theatre to be in residence at a major university. The Center for Classic Theatre philosophy fully utilizes the amazing intellectual resources that surround our theatre and influences how Court Theatre builds seasons and serves its audience and community.
Court works closely with University faculty, fostering collaboration between scholars and theatre artists on new works, adaptations and productions. The ongoing creative collaboration with the Faculty Advisory Council is a hallmark of Court’s artistic mission. Faculty members from departments across the University of Chicago gather regularly with Court Theatre staff to share their insights and perspectives on the dramatic works each new season brings. Plays at Court Theatre are immeasurably enriched by the contributions of scholars from History, Philosophy, English, Physics, Psychology, Classics, Music, and many other fields. University of Chicago scholars regularly lead post-play discussions for audiences.
What does the Center for Classic Theatre mean for Court Theatre audiences?
Great productions informed by the richness of a great university. More world premiere translations and adaptations like Invisible Man, Native Son, The Good Book, Man in the Ring, Frankenstein, and the upcoming Stokely: The Unfinished Revolution. A theatre vigorously embedded in the fabric of the community. And most of all, it means ambitious, exciting theatrical events.
Learn more:
- University Partners Initiative
- Discount programs for University of Chicago students, faculty, and staff
- Faculty Advisory Council
- UChicago Arts
- Amplify
Photo of Charles Newell, Marilyn F. Vitale Artistic Director, Margaret M. Mitchell of the University of Chicago Divinity School, and playwright Lisa Peterson by Joe Mazza.