League of Chicago Theatres Ponders the State of the Art
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The mood this year is markedly less belligerent. But the organization’s concerns–the need to find new funding and new audiences–are as pressing as ever, and the League’s new executive director, Keryl McCord, is getting a clearer picture of the magnitude of her challenge. “There are days when I’ve questioned my sanity,” says McCord, who’s been in her post now for five months. But she’s optimistic: “I think an attitudinal change needs to be made,” she says, adding, “Those of us in the industry need to empower ourselves with the knowledge that Chicago is the theater capital of the nation.”
Maybe so, but not many theater companies here make it for the long haul. Even the well-established commercial producing team of Michael Cullen, Sheila Henaghan, and Howard Platt collapsed during the past year, and industry rumors suggest at least a couple of long-standing not-for-profit companies may close in the year ahead. Meanwhile, upstart theater companies continue to operate for a season or two, then fall by the wayside due to lack of funding, poor administration, or better opportunities elsewhere for the actors.
Off Off Loop Festival: Off the Calendar?
