The Chicago Shakespeare Theater is widely known for vibrant productions that reflect the Bard's genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language, and depth of feeling for the human condition. Affectionately known to natives of the Windy City as "Chicago Shakes," this vanguard of Chicago's rich theatrical tradition celebrates its silver anniversary with this bracing collection of original essays by world-renowned scholars, directors, actors, and critics.


Chicago Shakespeare Theater unveils the artistic visions and decisions that helped shape this venerable institution and examines the theater's international reputation for staging such remarkable and provocative performances. The volume brings together works by such heralded drama critics as Terry Teachout, Jonathan Abarbanel, and Michael Billington; theater industry giants like Michael Bogdanov, Edward Hall, and Simon Callow; interviews with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's own Artistic Director Barbara Gaines and Executive Director Criss Henderson; and essays by such noted figures in academe as Clark Hulse, Wendy Wall, and Michael Shapiro.