LOOKINGGLASS THEATRE
Are they actors or acrobats? Playwrights or directors? TV stars or theatrical wunderkinds? The answer is yes on all counts. This is the Lookingglass – theater without a net.
Upon entering the theater, you might find circus-like swings hanging from the ceiling, or multiple stages at different levels. The stage itself might be long and narrow on one visit, with audiences sitting almost directly underneath the action unfolding above. Next time, the setting could be more traditional. It's never really the same.
This is theater without a net. Literally, and figuratively. Actors may fly across the stage, fight in intricate battle scenes, or perform acrobatic stunts right at your feet. You never know quite what to expect, which ties into their mission of always presenting something New – a premiere at every performance.
Lookingglass' most recent Tony Award® came in 2011 for best Regional Theatre, adding one more to Chicago's Tony total, now standing at five.
David Schwimmer, a Lookingglass co-founder, remains active in current productions. Joining him in the Lookingglass Ensemble is Tony Award® and MacArthur Genius Grant winner, Mary Zimmerman, who is known for her inspirational interpretations of timeless Greek classics.
By the way, you will pass through a small working water filtration plant on your way to the box office. After all, you are attending the Lookingglass Theatre in the Water Tower Water Works building – a sight in itself.
2012-2013 SEASON
The 2012-2013 Lookingglass season will be both breathtaking and groundbreaking, and it's the kind of incredible mix that Lookingglass audiences and artists have come to expect and crave:
- A classic from the Lookingglass canon and winner of the 2002 Tony Award® for Best Direction of a Play, Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses
(September 19, 2012 - January 6, 2013)
- A daring new play, fresh from Broadway, by one of the most imaginative theatrical voices of our generation, Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, directed by Heidi Stillman (January 30, 2012 - March 10, 2013)
- An Ensemble-generated world-premiere from Christine Mary Dunford, Still Alice, from the best-selling novel by Lisa Genova that is haunting, beautiful and surprising (April 10, 2013 - May 19, 2013)
- An absolutely hilarious, noir comedy Big Lake Big City from the combined dark and twisted imaginations of writer Keith Huff and director David Schwimmer
(June 19, 2013 - July 28, 2013)
It's both thrilling and apt that Lookingglass celebrate this milestone year with a 25th anniversary season that represents the range of the Company's vision so fully.
Check out our Events Calendar for details on what other exciting productions are on stage while you're here and get the inside scoop from our Chicago Like a Local theater blog.
