Chicago Theater Collection
at the Harold Washington Library Center 400 S. State, ninth floor 312-747-4875
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Located on the ninth floor of the central library, this special collection contains memorabilia dating back almost to the time of the city’s incorporation in 1837. Playbills and scrapbooks document performances at such long-gone venues as McVicker’s Theatre and Crosby’s Opera House, and production budgets, personal correspondence, posters, and reviews chronicle homegrown companies ranging from the Goodman to the Godzilla Rainbow Troupe. Also on hand are archived records of the work of individual artists, and dozens of videos—including one of Gary Sinise and John Malkovich in Steppenwolf’s landmark True West—immortalizing productions that have helped define contemporary Chicago theater.
Occasionally, the library also mounts exhibitions related to Chicago theater. On display through October 3 in the Special Collections Exhibit Hall is Capturing Chicago Theater: 35 Years of Theater Photography by Lisa Howe-Ebright (1974-2009), which features portraits and production shots and is open during regular library hours.
