The History Behind Chicago's Free Theater

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Society & Culture, Education, Public, Chicago, Arts, City, Radio, Curious, Investigation

4.8 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2022

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Free Theater was an ensemble group that put on non-traditional, avant-garde theatrical productions in Chicago from 1968 to 1974. Like its name suggests, the shows were free and no auditions were required. Productions took on the politics of the time. Curious City reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad digs into the group’s history and looks at what low cost and accessible theater looks like nowadays in Chicago.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Aaron Cahoe. As you may have heard in the previous episode, this is Curious City's
0:05.8	10th anniversary. And to celebrate, we've got a special giveaway. Anyone that supports this show with
0:11.1	the donation will get a chance to win a Curious City backstage pass. One lucky winner will
0:16.3	see firsthand how Curious City episodes are made. Also, if you give $10 a month, you can pick up a
0:22.1	special 10th anniversary mug. This show, like everything else at WBEZ, is largely funded by
0:28.6	listener donations, and CuriousCity needs you to give what you can now at WBEZ.org
0:35.3	slash Curious Decade. Also in the past episode, you met Christine Billups.
0:40.7	She won our big December drawing for a trip to Iceland.
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0:48.9	There was something in the drive I was listening, and then they popped on.
0:52.5	And the case was made you know a couple more
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1:00.2	expensive I'm thinking well if I can afford a six dollar cup of coffee I can give two dollars more
1:06.3	because I'm I'm well aware that NPR is dependent on its listeners to keep going.
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1:27.7	Every donation matters.
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1:31.3	Please give what you can.
1:33.0	Get your chance to win a behind-the-scenes peek at this great show
1:36.5	and maybe even pick up this wonderful 10th anniversary mug at WBEZ.org
1:42.1	slash curious decade.
	...

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