History

In 1992, Writers Theatre was founded in order to create an environment where the written word and the nurturing of artists were the foundation of all productions. We opened our first venue that year in the ante-room of a newly opened bookstore in Glencoe on the North Shore of Chicago. The limited space available gave way to a new aesthetic that has been a company hallmark ever since—intimacy.

Under the artistic leadership of Founding Artistic Director Michael Halberstam, who continues in that role to this day, Writers became a welcome addition to the already vibrant Chicago arts community. The Theatre quickly garnered significant critical acclaim and established a reputation as a home for world-class art and artists, opening a second performance space in 2003. Our inviting 108-seat Tudor Court space continued the company’s trademark level of intimacy while allowing for a new scale of production and affording the opportunity to expand audiences, programming and educational outreach.

Acclaimed by The Wall Street Journal as one of the top half-dozen regional theatres in the country, Writers has offered more than 100 productions, including 26 world premieres. We have garnered numerous awards and accolades, including 118 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations and 26 Awards, as well as multiple citations of Artistic Director Michael Halberstam for excellence and contributions to the field, including The 2010 Zelda Fichandler Award. In 2007, Writers debuted nationally with a New York premiere of Crime and Punishment, followed in 2011 by a Lincoln Center production of A Minister’s Wife—the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Candida, conceived and directed by Halberstam.

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home in a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.