Theater -- Programs

The Chicago Theater Collection-Historical Programs contains programs, playbills and newspaper clippings from more than 5,000 productions at Chicago’s historical theaters. More than 2,000 playbills and programs of local dramas, comedies, melodramas, operas, vaudeville performances and other events between the 1840s to the 1920s are available online in the Chicago Theater Collection-Historical Programs Digital Collection.

The Magic Circle Theatre was founded by Goodman School alumnus Guy Giarrizo and dedicated to the investigation of innovative techniques and the development of new plays. It became one of the resident theaters at Body Politic in 1973. The collection consists of promotional and production records including programs, posters, flyers and reviews. There are also copies of several original scripts from early shows.

ShawChicago specialized in concert readings of works by playwright George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. The collection includes production records, including programs and promotional materials, in addition to scripts, photographs and papers from long serving Artistic Director Robert Scogin.