Chris Jones has served as chief theater critic at the Chicago Tribune, the city’s oldest newspaper, for almost 15 years. Seeing more than 250 shows a year, he’s an expert when it comes to great acting, the changing role of criticism, and the Windy City’s fascinating and fabulous performing arts scene.
What role do you play in the Chicago theater scene?Chicagoans are proud of their theater—even if they don’t go; [theater’s] what we’re known for, they take pride in it. There are a lot of people here who’ll go to a storefront theater to see a very serious play if it’s got good reviews. That’s what I’m most interested in, of all the things I do: to say, “This is a great new play at a tiny little storefront.” The problem is you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs to meet the handsome prince sometimes. But I try to go to all those theaters so I can direct people to where the good work is. There’s a long history at the Tribune, starting with Richard Christiansen, my longtime predecessor, where it doesn’t matter whether it’s the Goodman or Steppenwolf or a storefront; if it’s a good show we try to give it the same [attention]. That
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