About this item
Chicago is a bona fide theater town, bursting with an explosive, innovative vitality that's fed every sector of the entertainment industry - from Hollywood to Broadway to Studio 8H - for as long as it's delighted adoring local fans. Ensemble is an in-depth, first-of-its-kind history of Chicago's internationally celebrated theater scene, spanning 65 years and told through first-person accounts from the people who made it happen.Among many other topics, this book explores the early days of the fabled Compass Players and the legendary Second City in the '50s and '60s; the rise of internationally acclaimed ensembles like Steppenwolf in the '70s; the explosion of storefront and neighborhood companies that began in earnest in the '80s; and the enduring global influence of the city as the center of improv training and performance.
About the Author
The Mark Larson SagaI grew up in Elmhurst, IL (Immaculate Conception H.S., '75) and attended Northwestern University as an undergraduate (B.S. in Educ., '79) and later as a graduate student (M.A. in Lit., '85). After teaching at Maine Township H.S. North (site of the film The Breakfast Club)and Riverside-Brookfield H.S. (next door to the zoo), I came to Highland Park H.S. in the fall of 1982 and taught in the English Department and coached various sports in the athletic program until my retirement from teaching in June 2012. I now work as a free-lance writer and editor with former HPHS English teacher, Bob Boone. Boone and I have recently published our second creative writing text entitled JOAN'S JUNK SHOP: 48 PLAYFULLY PRACTICAL CREATIVE WRITING PROMPTS and are currently working on a third book together. I married Debbie, a fellow teacher, in 1981, and together we have three children: Molly, a Special Education Case Manager in the Chicago Public School System; Nick, a Program Development Co-ordinator that writes curriculum for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and Annie, a Leasing Specialist in Bloomington-Normal, IL.
