Chicago Dramatists

Chicago, United States

4.4

Open now

13 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 312-633-0630
Website:
www.chicagodramatists.org
Address:
1105 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60642
River West, Noble Square, West Town
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
110 ftChicago
0.4 miCherry & North Branch
0.4 miCherry & Bliss
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Good for Kids
No

Today

Today 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Open now
Local time (Chicago) 12:48 PM Friday, November 29, 2024

Business hours

Monday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

For 34 years, Chicago Dramatists has nurtured plays and playwrights, adding strong new voices to the American stage.

History

Established in 1979.

Founded in 1979, Chicago Dramatists has grown from a small, grassroots playwrights’ collective to become a nationally recognized leader in developing new voices for the American stage. In all that time, it has been our greatest pleasure to offer literally thousands of playwrights a challenging and safe home in the theatre.

Each year we produce three world première productions. This year, Chicago Dramatists took home four Jeff awards, including Best Production and New Work for A Steady Rain. In addition, we teach playwriting to over 250 students in the Chicago Public School system.

Now in its 30th year, Chicago Dramatists provides our 40 Resident Playwrights and 200 Network Playwrights unparalleled opportunities to develop their work and their connections within the theatre industry. Chicago Dramatists most important sign of success is its nurturing of compelling, challenging, and diverse plays that move on to garner productions, earn awards, and define the American Theatre.

Meet the Manager

Virginia N.

Manager

Virginia Nugent is an arts and culture specialist with 25 years experience across the spectrum of theatre, musical theatre, dance, opera, music and special events. She was most recently engaged as the inaugural Development and Marketing Director for the Jazz Institute of Chicago, and brings a deep understanding of show business from her background in technical production and general arts management.

In addition to delivering results for U.S. opera, theatre, dance, and jazz companies, Virginia’s community engagement includes chairing multidisciplinary committees for the City of St. Paul, representing a local research site to report out at the national Performing Arts Research Coalition, developing the Twin Cities’ theatre awards, serving on the Rotary Club of St. Paul board of directors, reviewing grants for state and local government agencies, and facilitating Strategic Planning for volunteer service clubs.

Chicago Dramatists also recommends

Big Shoulders Coffee

187

reviews

Coffee & Tea

Virginia N. says,

«Big Shoulders Coffee provides the daily lift for every sleepy Chicago dramatist!»

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13 reviews of Chicago Dramatists

No registration required
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I love moms. I love 90’s nostalgia. And I love live theater. So when a friend wanted us to schlep to see The MOMS: Fannypackin’ Heat I said «okeydokey artichokey!»
The play was winsome and cute. Moments where a plot point, costume, and quip resonated with the audience were rampant. Lots of head nods and chuckles as we recognized a bit of out parents or ourselves.
The theater is intimate. Or a mom would say… cozy and comfy. The actors come out after and chat with the audience so you feel like family, it’s a great touch. And they sell beer, wine, sodie pops, and snacky snax lots of hospitality.(no doggies allowed in the house)
Put on your mom jeans, ugly sweaters or pleated dockers and see this show which runs until 12⁄29 or any of the other programs! Feel the love.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I’ve seen two plays at Chicago Dramatists in recent months: «BLIZZARD ’67» (a dramatic storytelling about the infamous snowstorm of that year) and «I AM GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD» (a young man who dreams of working for Goldman Sachs ends up oversleeping the day of his interview and his life takes a sad turn).
I thoroughly enjoyed «Blizzard» but I’m kind of on the fence about «IAGTCTW.» What I do love about Chicago Dramatists is that in both plays, the City plays a central role in the storytelling. In fact, in «Blizzard» it may as well have been the fifth character.
It’s also worth noting that Chicago Dramatists features new, original plays, by largely undiscovered playwrights. Uncharted territory, if you will.
It’s an intimate venue, but still very much provides a true theater experience. The lobby waiting area is elegant and it has a bar, and the staff is engaging and polite.
I fully support the live theater community in Chicago. We have so much talent in our town and little theaters like this highlight the fertile creative ground that regularly draws reviewers from New York to our vital theater scene.
After all, the play’s the thing.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
My friend lives roughly two blocks from this theater and I have been wanting to see a play here, since the summer.
Well, finally the time arrived and my friend and I saw Blizzard ’67. The space is intimate and the seats remind me of an «old school» movie theater. Does that matter?!? Not a bit. Especially, if all the performances are as entertaining as Blizzard ’67. The story was intriguing and the dialogue was witty. Also, the characterization was spot-​on.
Other perks of the theater? Besides a few tasty snacks and beverages offered, there are a few cocktail and wine choices as well.
As we were leaving, the actors came out and talked to the theater goers. The snack man/​bartender said, «bye,» too. It was nice to be acknowledged on the way out.
What another great theater in the Windy City!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Went to a Saturday staged-​reading session & was delighted! The staff was down to earth & the venue intimate. We stayed for the discussion after. Our fellow audience members were respectful to other’s opinions even when they disagreed. Can’t wait to see a full production here!
Parking is a pretty challenging in the area, so plan to get there in plenty of time for the great spot-​hunt!
Place rating: 5
Really cool venue with what seems like a great story or stories behind it. We had a great time at «Lucindas Bed.» The last play I went to was Little Shop of Horrors several years ago. I forgot how much fun plays are. Looking forward to Everything Freezes! Really had an enjoyable night and we will be back very soon!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
While all the cool kids and their plus ones were enjoying themselves at Mars Gallery for the Unilocal night. I and my band of rejects (Ralphy pants & Jackfruit Jassira) decided to hit up a free play (preview show) at the Sideshow Theatre. Adding another storefront theatre to my list is never a problem in my book and free how can you pass it up.
Being a fairly new theatre house (2007) I think that they will do well for themselves. It’s your basic small stage and maybe 40+ seats, but at least they have a fairly large waiting area. My biggest problem were the seats, whoever said that they were comfortable was lying!!! We all were twisting and turning to the point our chairs were squeaking louder then the actor’s voices. At least the theatre was clean.
As for the play «Everything Freezes Another Winter’s Tale», an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale, it was a complex in the telling of multiple stories within one big story but not so in-​depth that you can’t follow or understand the big picture. It’s marked as a comedy as the original but I really feel that it is everything except. Like Shakespeare’s play it had intense psychological drama playing more on expressions then words, running in circles, a little supernatural occurrence, and then ends with love. Don’t get me wrong you laugh at a line or two, plus Jackfuit and I saw a little plumbers crack and couldn’t stop laughing like children. I understand that we went preview showing but the actors were deep in character and gave a FANTASTIC performance. My only quarrel is that the play ran way too long, the first half could be cut up dramatically but the second half was very moving. But I am sure that they have worked out all of the bugs.
I would recommend seeing it before it leaves in April
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
This is a nice, intimate theatre. I went the see «How I Became an Interesting Person» recently which was a great play and very well done. The employees at the theatre are nice and generally helpfully. The streets in the area are a little confusing but a plus about this theatre is that they have a free parking lot about ½ a block away. The only big (yet minor) issue I have with the place is the coffee in the lobby is not the greatest.
I’ll definitely be back for another production. It’s a nice theatre for a night out.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
We love our friends over at the Chicago Dramatists!
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
There’s not a lot of places you can go in Chicago if you’re interested in taking playwriting classes without getting into a program at one of the universities. Believe me, I’ve looked. Luckily, there’s Chicago Dramatists. I’ve taken the playwriting fundamentals course twice now, with two different instructors, and it’s absolutely worth the money. They give their instructors a lot of freedom to teach how they want to teach, and so you get a different experience each time you take a class. And it will be a good experience, since the instructors are working playwrights who also teach at local universities, and have had their plays produced.
In the Fundamentals course, which is an introductory level class, you’ll find students with a range of talent. Some are actually pretty good, some are beginners. If you’re a beginner, don’t be nervous. The environment is very supportive. Taking a class is a great way to develop your «tools», and a good framework to get you to just sit down and write.
For a unique theater experience, they offer a Saturday afternoon series, where playwrights workshop a play in progress. It’s fun to see a staged reading and give your feedback, and it’s a cheap (like $ 5) way to have a fun Saturday afternoon.
Now I’ve got to quit writing Unilocal reviews, so I can go back to working on my play. It’s good. I’m going to win a Pulitzer.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
i’ll make a full disclosure here: my father’s the President of the Board of Directors at Chicago Dramatists, and is actively involved in their workshops as an aspiring playwrite. that being said, i’m not recommending you read HIS plays (ugh). i’m also placing this review in a bit of context: i’m a 28 year old single guy who spends far more time in bars than in theaters, and my dad usually has to drag me to the few shows he can convince me to join him at… a number of which have been painfully boring. he even got me to the opera once, which i haven’t forgiven him for. in short… this is a theater review from a non-​theater guy.
chicago dramatists is (one of) the best kept artistic secrets in chicago.
i say that because they’ve up until recently had a very difficult time cultivating an audience significantly populated with young adults… most of their frequenters have been seeing their shows for 20+ years.
nevertheless, the material they bring to the stage is phenomenal, engaging, and most importantly highly entertaining. their artistic director, russ tuterow, is a genius of selection and consistently finds work that audiences love. i’m sure it helps to have a vibrant commnunity of writers and actors using their workshops and weekend classes to hone their skills!
dollar for dollar it’s some of the best theater in town. that’s the thing… it’s easy to get tickets, cheap, and makes going to see a play far less of a production than it would be at major theaters around town. it’s an indie/​non-​profit kind of experience, with a small theater, friendly staff, and usually the actors will meet you right outside the theater after the performance.
i’ve seen most of their productions (thank you, dad) and then usually try to get friends to come back to the best ones.
‘a steady rain’ was one of the best plays i saw there, and it’s the first play in CD’s history to get commercially produced. you can go see it now at the Royal George Theater.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This is one of the most prestigious, well-​respected theatres in Chicago with the best roster of new and established playwrights in town. All their plays are critically acclaimed and many Jeff award recommended. Their monthly «Instant Theatre» which is an hour of short plays on the same theme is a must-​see and giving Second City a run for their money.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
Very low key group of thespians. I’ve lived in Chicago all of my life and hadn’t heard of this place until an unexpected bus ride (due to a train derailment last summer) with one of their regulars. I’m hard up on remembering her name, but that’s me digressing.
I bought a couple tickets for the opening night of «Water,» just to do something different on a Friday night. The tickets were very easily purchased online, and included free parking. If you don’t know the area, free parking is a big plus.
Walking in, I immediately realized that this group is a very tight-​knit group. People were milling about saying hello and striking up conversations like they had know each other since a previous life. That’s particularly good when you walk into the theatre, and realize there’s only room for about forty. (On a side note, the chairs are really, really comfortable.)
The set was almost perfect, in walking that thin line between engineering and art.
The play, I can’t really comment on. I’m not a guy who watches plays, so all I’ll say is I wasn’t bored.
The actors were believable in their roles, though I think after a little time in the roles they’ll be much more. (The intimacy of it all really accentuated the first night foibles.)
But I’ll bring everything back to this one basic fact: this was a great time. The show was enjoyable, not too heavy on the wallet (student discounts available), and this venue makes use of a very under utilized and under appreciated asset of Chicago, it’s thespians.
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
cheap fringe theatre.
we saw «intelligent design of jenny chow». props to the dramatist for mounting a play where a coupla of white people start spitting out lines of unintelligible Mandarin Chinese with live/​instant translation.
my question remains: why use 2 Korean girls for clearly Chinese roles? were there no China-​woman interested in playing these parts? Or am i totally missing the point?
I’d totally give my $ (for tickets and for donation) to this troupe.