Publisher's Synopsis
Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad! An Illustrated History of Chicago Theatre is:
A graphic, illustrated coffee table book chronicling the urban history of local dramatic theater in Chicago. Readers discover Joseph Jefferson, the namesake of the Chicago Jeff Awards and the Jeff Recommended plays in Chicago, James McVicker and the founders of early theater in Chicago, architecture and the effects of the Great Chicago Fire, The Iroquois Theatre Fire, the social outreach and theater of Hull House led by Jane Addams and later Robert Sickinger and Paul Jans, the experiment of Maurice Browne and the Little Theatre movement with Ellen Van Volkenburg, off-Loop theater and its inspiration to create countless Chicago theatre companies, Charlotte Chorpenning, Winifred Ward, Alice Gerstenberg and the growth of children's theater, the Federal Theatre Project in Chicago with Harry Minturn and Shirley Graham, experimental theater, the history of Chicago style improvisation with influence from Neva Boyd, Viola Spolin, David Shepherd and The Compass Players, Paul Sills, Bernie Sahlins and the famous risk-taking improv comedy of The Second City along with its contributions to Saturday Night Live. Discover The Body Politic Theatre of the Reverend Jim Shiflett, The Organic Theatre with Stuart Gordon, The St. Nicholas Theatre with David Mamet, and the history of long standing performance spaces like the Goodman Theatre and original venues like Bill Pullinsi's Candlelight Playhouse, the first dinner theater in America. Replete with a unique collection of photography, graphics, playbills and memorabilia from Chicago's famous theater scene. Enjoy!
Pete Blatchford's Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad! is Affectionate, Uplifting, Utterly Good! In an age and of a subject often bathed in too many words, this delightful coffee table book combines a rich and broad array of pictures, photos, placards and posters laid out with the dynamic of a good graphic novel, about the history I was so lucky to stumble upon as a novice theatre enthusiast when I arrived here in the 1970s. More than a well-researched reference, more than an album of valuable images, this book celebrates the feel of distinctly Chicago Theatre. Thanks Pete Blatchford! Stefan Brün, Artistic Director, Prop Thtr
Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad! is an exciting journey through the theatrical history of Chicago, focusing on what got us to the storefront movement of the 60s and 70s, then what followed. The photos collected are a treasure trove, from Joseph Jefferson on down. It's a delight for anyone who loves Chicago theatre and Chicago history. Jason Epperson, PerformInk
Author Blatchford's decades-long opus is as much a labor of love as it is a meticulously researched reference guide which doubles as a coffee table book that is impossible not to love. Lavish with images, photos and memorabilia, WICKED is simply the most inclusive volume on Chicago's creative scene to see print. The world looks to Chicago as the hub for small stage brilliance and innovation; here's the best guide to why. Chicago historians and theatre fans, rejoice! Mark Braun, Food Industry News
Received this lovely gift in the mail today. "Wicked, Immoral, Utterly Bad!" an illustrated history of Chicago theatre that I contributed pictures to from David Shepherd's collection. Written by Pete Blatchford with design and layout by Jennifer Sowinski, David is featured in the chapter "Shepherd's Flock." His collection has been quite prolific over the past year; popping up in two TV documentaries on Mike Nichols (PBS and HBO) and Mike Birbiglia's film "Don't Think Twice." It does my heart good. Michael Golding
