North Shore Chicago Theater 2009-2010 Scene
Take it From an Actor – Chicago's North Suburbs Offer Great Theater
Apr 27, 2009
Lindner is an Evanston resident currently touring nationally as Harry Bright with Mamma Mia! His roots run deep in the suburbs of Chicago, with turns at a number of local theaters in Lincolnshire, Highland Park and Glencoe. Here's what he had to say about the scene in an interview with the author:
How did you find yourself in Chicago?
“I was born in St. Louis, but my wife and I chose to move to the Chicago area in 2000, simply because there are so many more opportunities here. We knew that even if we had to work all day and do shows at night, that was better than not doing what we love.”
Given your national exposure, would you say North Shore Chicago’s theater scene is typical?
“It’s definitely a-typical. The theater on the North Shore is world class. It’s simply an amazing group of theaters – a very rich theater scene. Some of the best Chicago actors are very happy to be working on the North Shore.”
Lindner's say on a few theaters:
- Marriott Lincolnshire: “The Marriott has always been very good to me. And it’s a fantastic group – they premiere a lot of shows as they close (first runs) on Broadway.”
- Apple Tree: “I’m incredibly proud of my work there.”
- Writer’s Theatre: “I once took a non-speaking role and was absolutely thrilled to be a part of the production. It was such an incredible group of actors, I just sort of sat back and allowed myself to be a student of their work.”
The 2009-2010 Productions
If you haven’t caught a show on the North Shore yet, you should – here’s a sample of what’s coming up this summer and fall:
- Apple Tree Theatre (850 Green Bay Rd., Highland Park): Catch Wendy Wasserstein's Third, through June 28.
- Writer's Theatre (376 Park Ave.,Glencoe): The 2009-2010 season kicks off in September with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead."The theatre will also host a run of A Streetcar Named Desire.
- Next Theatre (927 Noyes St., Evanston): The 2009-2010 season kicks off in September with Boom!" and will also feature the world premiere of War With The Newts.
- Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire (Ten Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire): Specializing in musical theater, upcoming productions include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee through July 2009, and Hairspray! September 23 - December 6.
- Northwestern University Theatre and Interpretation Center (Arts Circle Drive, Evanston): Northwestern University's premiere theater program offers high quality drama for a very reasonable price – sometimes just $10 a show. This year's production schedule closes with Ghetto, through May 31.
Statements made by Michael Aaron Lindner are from a September 2008 interview with the author.
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