Theater Program Collection

An inventory of the collection at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Administrative History

Theater in the United States began to develop in the late 18th Century and was deeply influenced by English Theater. Most early work consisted of the adaptation of English originals and did not closely reflect American culture and experience. The 19th Century witnessed the emergence of new Theaters and opera houses throughout the United States. Actors such as Edwin Booth and Charlotte Cushman helped to develop a strong American stagecraft that provided the entertainment and luxuries associated with English Theater with a greater emphasis on more realistic sets, historical accuracy, and the use of new technology, e.g., the introduction of gas lighting in 1825. New York City emerged as the creative center of American Theater, but actors and their shows traveled across the country from the showboats that plied the Mississippi River to the newly created towns of the Western frontier.

American Theater developed a strong commercial tradition in the early 20th Century with long running epic Broadway productions. An artistic rebellion against this very trend also developed and was known as Off-Broadway or more intensely, "Off-Off-Broadway," in the case of more stridently anti-establishment or independent work. 20th Century American Theater has many roots including the influence of the European avant-garde and postmodernism. Like other forms of modern and postmodern art, American Theater productions sometimes aim to shock, distort, destroy, or alter the preconceptions, ideals, and beliefs of the audience. Chicago Theater although somewhat overshadowed by New York, has boasted a number of Theaters and opera houses of its own such as the Goodman Theater and Second City. American classics such as the Wizard of Oz first ran in Chicago. Philanthropic institutions like Jane Addams' Hull House used Theater to entertain, integrate, and educate members of Chicago's new immigrant communities. Small less commercial enterprises such as the Little Theater of Chicago (1912) made significant contributions to experimental Theater in the United States.

Scope and Contents

The Theater Program Collection consists of playbills, programs, and brochures from Theaters and opera houses in the United States, especially Chicago, such as the Adelphi Theater, Civic Opera House, Goodman Theater, Grand Opera House, Great Northern Theater, Harris Theater, Powers' Theater, and many others. A few programs from Theaters and festivals in the United Kingdom are also included.

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

The Chicago Historical Society forwarded these materials to the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1976 and 1986.

Detailed Description/Box and Folder Listing