This is my last column for the year, and in place of writing some variant on “The Future of Chicago Theater: Are Artists Ready to Return to the Stage?,” I thought this might be a good time to acknowledge the many ways the performing arts community in Chicago took care of itself and others in 2020, even as the official neglect and virulent incompetence of the outgoing administration found new lows.
Speaking of the Actors Fund: if you’re looking for something fun to do on New Year’s, the latter is hosting a streaming fundraising presentation of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, starring Titus Burgess as Remy and former Chicagoan and Broadway legend André De Shields as Anton Ego, based on the 2005 Pixar film.
I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that online theater is the same as live performance, just as a recording of an opera isn’t the same as experiencing it in the flesh. But artists have always found ways to keep themselves occupied and flex their creative muscles in between shows. This year, necessity birthed some new ways for them to do that. I was privileged to have a seat at the table to see it happen. I’m sure I’ll be back to my crotchety ways eventually, but 2020 reinforced for me at least a sense that the rules of engagement for artists, producers, audiences, and critics are going to be changing, and it’s more than past time to listen to the voices coming up before passing judgment on what these new paradigms will mean for theater going forward.
On a personal note, I want to end by thanking everyone at the Reader for keeping my spirits up and my mind focused during this past strange and difficult year. I have never worked with a better group of people and it’s a privilege to be a part of this team. v
