List of theaters in Chicago

This is a list of notable theatre companies, performance venues, and rental performance spaces in the Chicago area.

Chicago area theatre venues and organizations

Resident companies and venues

• About Face
• Aguijón Theater ^[1]
• American Blues Theater ^[2]
• Annoyance Theatre ^[3]
• Black Ensemble Theater Company ^[4]
• Center on Halsted ^[5]
• Chicago Dramatists ^[6]
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater ^[7]
• Chopin Theatre ^[8]
• Citadel Theatre (Lake Forest) ^[9]
• City Lit Theater ^[10]
• Copernicus Center (formerly Gateway Theatre) ^[11]
• Court Theatre ^[12]
• Factory Theater ^[13]
• First Folio Theatre (Oak Brook) ^[14]
• Goodman Theatre ^[15]
• iO Theater ^[16]
• Irish Theatre of Chicago (formerly Seanachaí Theatre Company) ^[17]
• Kane Repertory Theatre (St. Charles) ^[18]
• Lifeline Theatre ^[19]
• Lookingglass Theatre Company ^[20]
• Lyric Opera of Chicago ^[21]
• Marriott Theatre (Lincolnshire) ^[22]
• MCA Stage ^[23]
• Merle Reskin Theatre (DePaul) (formerly Blackstone Theater) ^[24]
• Music Theater Works (formerly Light Opera Works) (Evanston) ^[25]
• Neo-Futurists ^[26]
• Oak Park Festival Theatre (Oak Park) ^[27]
• Opera in Focus (Rolling Meadows) ^[28]
• Paramount Theatre (Aurora) ^[29]
• The Playground ^[30]
• Porchlight Music Theatre ^[31]
• Raven Theater ^[32]
• A Red Orchid Theatre ^[33]
• Red Tape Theatre ^[34]
• Red Theater Chicago ^[35]
• Remy Bumppo Theatre Company ^[36]
• The Second City ^[37]
• Shattered Globe Theatre Company
• Silk Road Rising ^[38]
• Steep Theatre Company ^[39]
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company ^[40]
• Strawdog Theatre Company ^[41]
• Theatre-Hikes
• Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre ^[42]
• TimeLine Theatre Company ^[43]
• Trap Door Theatre ^[44]
• Victory Gardens Theater ^[45]

Itinerant companies

• Babes With Blades ^[46]
• Child's Play Touring Theatre ^[47]
• Collaboraction ^[48]
• ETA Creative Arts Foundation ^[49]
• Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre Co ^[50]
• LiveWire Chicago Theatre ^[51]
• Off-Off Campus (UChicago) ^[52]
• Red Theater Chicago ^[53]
• Theater Oobleck (formerly Streetlight Theater) ^[54]
• TUTA Theatre ^[55]

Touring and rental venues

• Apollo Theater Chicago ^[56]
• Arie Crown Theatre ^[57]
• Auditorium Theatre ^[58]
• Briar Street Theater ^[59]
• Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (formerly Drury Lane Water Tower Place) ^[60]
• Bughouse Theater
• Cadillac Palace Theatre ^[61]
• Chicago Theatre ^[62]
• CIBC Theatre (formerly The Shubert Theatre) ^[63]
• Congress Theater ^[64]
• Greenhouse Theater Center ^[65]
• Harris Theater (Chicago) ^[66]
• James M. Nederlander Theatre (formerly Oriental Theatre) ^[67]
• Lyric Opera of Chicago ^[68]
• Rosemont Theater ^[69]
• Theater Wit ^[70]

Inactive, historic companies and venues

Companies

• Accidental Shakespeare ^[71]
• American Theater Company ^[72]
• Body Politic Theater ^[73]
• Bailiwick Repertory Theatre
• BoHo Theatre ^[74]
• Boxer Rebellion Theatre Company
• Caffeine Theatre ^[75]
• Chicago Center for the Performing Arts ^[76]
• Compass Players
• Defiant Theatre
• The Ethiopian Art Theatre/Players
• Famous Door Theatre ^[77]
• First Folio Theatre (Oak Brook)
• Goat Island
• Happy Happy Good Show
• The Hypocrites ^[78]
• Illinois Theatre Center
• Improv Institute
• Infamous Commonwealth Theatre ^[79]
• Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company
• New Age Vaudeville
• New Variety
• Oracle Theatre Company
• Organic Theater Company ^[80]
• Playwrights Theatre Club
• Pyewacket Theatre Company
• The House Theatre of Chicago ^[81]
• The Practical Theatre Company
• Remains Theatre ^[82]
• Redmoon Theater
• Wayward Productions (formerly Chicago Fusion Theatre)
• Windy City Performs ^[83]

Venues

• Academy of Music
• Drury Lane Theatres
• Garrick Theater
• Iroquois Theatre
• Theatre Building Chicago (Purchased by Stage 773)
• Uptown Theatre

References

1. "Aguijón Theater Company | Chicago, IL" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
2. "American Blues Theater | Chicago, IL". American Blues Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
3. "Annoyance Theatre & Bar | Chicago's Only Funny Comedy! | Chicago, IL". Annoyance Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
4. "Black Ensemble Theater and Cultural Center | Black Ensemble". Black Ensemble Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
5. "Center on Halsted - Chicago's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Community Center". www.centeronhalsted.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
6. "Chicago Dramatists |". chicagodramatists.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
7. "See what's playing on our stages". www.chicagoshakes.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
8. "Chopin Theatre :: Now Playing". www.chopintheatre.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
9. "Citadel Theatre". Citadel Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
10. "City Lit". City Lit Theater. Retrieved January 5, 2025.
11. "HOME". Copernicus Center. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
12. "Court Theatre | Classic Plays In Chicago | Season & Tickets". Court Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
13. "Home". The Factory Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
14. "First Folio Theatre". First Folio Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
15. "Goodman Theatre | Official Site of the Tony Award® winning Goodman Theatre | Tickets, Performance Calendar and Information". Goodman Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
16. "Home | iO Improv" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
17. Kenneth Jones, "Seanachai Becomes Irish Theatre of Chicago; Season Revealed," Playbill, August 12, 2014, https://playbill.com/article/seanachai-becomes-irish-theatre-of-chicago-season-revealed-com-328049.
18. "Kane Repertory Theatre | St Charles, Illinois | United States". KaneRepertoryTheatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
19. "Lifeline Theatre - Big Stories, Up Close". Lifeline Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
20. "Lookingglass Theatre Company". Lookingglass Theatre Company. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
21. "Home". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
22. "Marriott Theatre - Musicals and Children's Theatre in Lincolnshire, IL". www.marriotttheatre.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
23. "MCA - MCA Stage | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago". mcachicago.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
24. "Merle Reskin Theatre | Facilities | About | the Theatre School | DePaul University, Chicago".
25. "HOME". Music Theater Works. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
26. "Home". The Neo-Futurist Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
27. "Oak Park Festival Theatre | Exploring our shared humanity by telling stories that stand the test of time. By looking to our past and re-imagining the familiar, we hold a mirror up to the times in which we live, bringing us all a little closer" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
28. "Opera in Focus". www.operainfocus.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
29. "Home". Paramount Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
30. "The Playground Theater • Chicago's 1st Non-profit Comedy Theater". The Playground Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
31. "Home". Porchlight Music Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
32. "Raven Theater Website". Raven Theater. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
33. "A Red Orchid Theatre – Cutting Edge Ensemble Based Theatre in Chicago" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
34. "Red Tape Theatre". Red Tape Theatre. October 14, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
35. "Red Theater". Red Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
36. "Remy Bumppo Theatre Company: Think Theatre in Chicago". Remy Bumppo. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
37. "Second City".
38. "Home | Silk Road Cultural Center". silkroadculturalcenter.org. March 29, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
39. "Steep Theatre".
40. "Home". www.steppenwolf.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
41. "Strawdog Theatre Company". Strawdog Theatre Company. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
42. "Home". theo. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
43. Young, Helen. "Home". TimeLine Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
44. "Trap Door Theatre" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
45. "Now Playing". Victory Gardens. March 25, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
46. "Babes With Blades Theatre Company – Theatre That Leaves A Mark". Babes With Blades Theatre Company. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
47. "Home| Child's Play Touring Theatre". www.cptt.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
48. "Collaboraction | Theatre for Social Change". Collaboraction. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
49. "Theater | Eta Creative Arts Foundation | Chicago". EtaCreativeArts. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
50. "Ghostlight Ensemble". Ghostlight Ensemble. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
51. "Livewire Chicago".
52. "Off-Off Campus". Off-Off Campus. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
53. "Red Theater". Red Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
54. "Theater Oobleck". theateroobleck.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
55. "TUTA Theatre". TUTA Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
56. "Home". Apollo Theater Chicago. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
57. Theater, Arie Crown. "Arie Crown Theater". www.ariecrown.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
58. "Auditorium Theatre". Auditorium Theatre. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
59. "Briar Street Theatre | Latest Events and Tickets | Chicago, Illinois". www.briarstreetbroadway.com. April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
60. "Broadway Playhouse Chicago | Chicago Theater Guide". Broadway In Chicago. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
61. "Cadillac Palace Theatre Chicago | Chicago Theater Guide". Broadway In Chicago. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
62. "The Chicago Theatre | Wondrous Starts Here". MSG. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
63. "CIBC Theatre Chicago - Home of Broadway's Best Shows". Broadway In Chicago. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
64. "Congress Chicago on Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
65. "Greenhouse Theater Center | Chicago Tickets". Greenhouse Theater. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
66. "Harris Theater | Official Ticket Source | Chicago's Home for Music and Dance". www.harristheaterchicago.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
67. "James Nederlander Theatre Chicago | Chicago Theater Guide". Broadway In Chicago. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
68. "Home". www.lyricopera.org. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
69. "Rosemont Theatre" . Retrieved May 5, 2024.
70. "Theater Wit: Theater Wit: smart.art". www.theaterwit.org. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
71. "The Accidental Shakespeare Theatre Company". Accidental Shakespeare Threatre Company. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
72. Jones, Chris (March 16, 2018). "American Theater Company is shutting down, the company behind 'Disgraced' and 'Original Grease'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
73. Lazare, Lewis (July 27, 1995). "Body Politic Bows Out/Auditorium Suit Dismissed". Chicago Reader. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
74. "Bohotheatre". Bohotheatre. April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
75. "Caffeine Theatre To Close - Chicago Theatre News". Theatre in Chicago. August 10, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
76. Theatrical days appear numbered for Chicago Center for Performing Arts
77. Jones, Chris (June 3, 2005). "Famous Door closing after venerable run". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on December 6, 2022.
78. "Home". The Hypocrites. May 30, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
79. "Infamous Commonwealth Theatre closes". Chicago Tribune. July 25, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
80. http://ww1.organictheater.org/ . Retrieved May 5, 2024.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
81. "Chicago's House Theatre to Close After a 21-Year Run". AMERICAN THEATRE. June 2, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
82. Lazare, Lewis (January 6, 1994). "Money Trouble at Wisdom Bridge/What Remains of Remains?/Rotational Success/Hot Mikado". Chicago Reader. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
83. Nadig, Brian (June 20, 2019). "Windy City Performs, a performing arts school, closes in Jefferson Park". Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers. Retrieved May 5, 2024.