9-12-08
Our Most Comprehensive Survey Ever
Welcome to the 2008-09 Chicago theatre season preview! You may notice a few changes this year. First of all, the survey is much larger: over 180 companies in the city and suburbs responded to this year’s survey, which is more than twice the number who have ever participated before, and at least 85 percent of the actively producing companies in the area.
This more comprehensive assessment is a result of a partnership between PerformInk and a new project, the Chicago Theater Database. The CTDB is an attempt to organize the data of the theatre-making community, making it a natural fit for the survey. But more on that later—let’s talk about what is brewing in Equity houses and church basements all across town.
The 2008-09 season will be busy: more than 550 productions were reported, though that number is undoubtedly low. In terms of production data, the survey has an inherent bias toward the fall. Of the more than 180 companies who responded, the 168 listed below were able to announce details of upcoming productions. Nearly half of all Chicago companies are operating on less than $50,000 a year—a third operate on less than $25,000 a year—so it’s not always possible for plans for February to be solidified in August. But from now until Christmas, there are, on average, 43 shows playing every week. There could be as many as 88 shows during the week of Oct. 12.
With all that theatre, it’s impossible not to have at least some opening night glut, but once again we have it in spades. Despite some high profile openings in July and August, the season didn’t really get going until, well, now, when it gets very crowded, very fast. At least 10 shows open or have opened every week during the period 9/7 to 10/19—with 21 announced openings the week of 9/14. There’s another big first night peak the week of 11/16—five weeks from Christmas—as companies open their holiday shows.
The upcoming season is also surprisingly new. A third of the productions were reported as world premieres, with another 17 percent either a U.S., Midwest, or Chicago premiere—meaning that nearly half the shows this season will never have been seen before in the city.
There are quite a few familiar faces, however. Shakespeare once again tops the list of most-produced playwright with 20 productions or adaptations of his work. Including the suburban theatres, there will be two Tempests, three Midsummer’s (including CSC’s Short Shakespeare), three Twelfth Nights and five Macbeths (including Radio Macbeth at the Court). Setting aside Eugene O’Neill’s domination at the Goodman, we have five Tennessee Williams plays (including two Glass Menageries), five Ibsens, three Chekhovs, three Pinters, three Shanleys and three Stoppards. And, thankfully, three plays by Tanya Saracho.
What you see in this survey is, in fact, the tiniest part of what we’ve started. Much more information—on company members, production teams, venue relationships—was collected in this year’s survey, far too much to print here. It’s all being incorporated into the Chicago Theater Database (online at chicagotheaterdb.com).
But the CTDB is not just about collecting and recording data. I’m an actor and sometime arts administrator; my partner, Nick Keenan is a sound designer and tech guru at New Leaf and the side project, among many others. We started this project to build tools that we think would be helpful to us in our careers and companies. There are huge benefits to be reaped just by sharing information: knowing the local production history of a show you’re considering, knowing who you’ve worked with who might be a link to people you want to work with, knowing what venues are available for rental.
But there are even bigger opportunities for collaboration. As I said before, half the companies in Chicago operate on less than $50,000 a year, yet this season they’ll only produce around a third of the shows in and around Chicago. Producing theatre is expensive and time-consuming. Creative partnering could take some of the burden off. Sets, for instance, often constitute a huge part of a production budget, yet all throughout the season, companies with no storage space throw out piles of wood after closing a show. All it takes is a centralized list of strike dates and a list of contact people to put some of that scrap wood to use. And that’s just one example.
While we’re off to a great start, we’re still very much in development on the project. So as you’re out exploring (and creating) the coming theatre season, check in with us from time to time at our blog: chicagotheaterdatablog.blogspot.com. The next few months will be full of developments.
And break a leg.
Season Preview 2008-09 (pdf)