Barbara Gaines founded the theater in 1986. She said William Shakespeare himself convinced her that Chicago needed such a theater.
"I couldn't believe that no Shakespeare, or a tiny bit of Shakespeare, was being done every few years in one of the most culturally beautiful theaters in America. And so, I and a few wonderful actor friends, we did this performance on the roof of the Red Lion Pub in 1986. And, I should tell you it was a karmic force in action, because the show was to happen on the roof of the Red Lion Pub, and you needed the upper deck.
Gaines said it was high school kids who made her confident that the city would embrace the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. "We brought something called 'Shakespeare's greatest hits' to inner city high schools, and those kids, absolutely, I remember them running from their seats after they gave it a standing ovation, and they ran to get the actor's signatures. And then, I knew we would be fine," Gaines said.
Since then, Gaines has directed nearly 60 productions. Her final one as artistic director is "The Comedy of Errors." Gaines said it's hilarious.
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