Strawdog Theatre Company

Founded in 1988, Strawdog Theater Company champions core values of Community, Ensemble, Challenge, Genuine Connection. Entering its 28th Season in 2015-2016, Strawdog has presented over 100 productions, offered years of late night variety performances, and has continued to expand its programming including offsite fully accessible performances partnered with Victory Garden's Access Project. With two performance spaces (a 73-seat black box and 50-seat cabaret), this 36 member ensemble theater continues to be one of the leading storefront theaters of Chicago. Strawdog is located in North Lakeview at 3829 N. Broadway.

The whole wide world in a little black box.

Strawdog Theatre Company is committed to ensemble acting and an immersive design approach, offering Chicago the premiere storefront theatre experience. Strawdog develops new work, re-imagines classic plays, explores new fusions of music and theatre, asks provocative questions and delivers the unexpected to our audience. Strawdog provides a home for our celebrated ensemble to work and play with the most sought after artists in Chicago theatre along with the best new talents in the city.

Lawrence Novikoff and Paul Engelhardt founded Strawdog Theatre Company in 1988 after performing together in a production of Euripides’s Helen. Strawdog was intended to be a home for a company of actors drawn to a gritty, realistic theater style. The group took their name from Sam Peckinpah’s movie "Straw Dogs" and was founded with the commitment to the ensemble approach, which remains the backbone of Strawdog today [1]. From its inaugural production of Five of Us by Len Jenkin to the most recent production of St. Crispin's Day, Strawdog Theatre has not only survived, it has flourished.

In 2000, the Company went through a period of restructuring. Many ensemble members left the Company and new members were recruited. This personnel change led to a shift in leadership and focus for the ensemble. Jennifer Avery and Michael Dailey took over as Co-Artistic Directors. They added many new ensemble members of varying disciplines, restructured the administration of the Company and gradually moved its focus from gritty kitchen sink dramas to a wider range of styles that embraced a true commitment to ensemble - based productions.

In August 2003, the Company hired Nic Dimond, a former ensemble member, to helm the Company as Artistic Director. Dimond has refined the way the Company runs and strengthened the Board of Directors. He has continued to push the ensemble in new and challenging artistic directions, including the creation of original material, the use of live music and elevating the design elements to match the acting sophistication inside the ensemble. [2]

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