As Lookingglass Theatre returns after an 18-month hiatus with Circus Quixote, Friends star and founding ensemble member David Schwimmer chats with CS about joining the stage troupe’s board of directors, his dedication to the company, and why Chicago theater is still one of his primary passions.
What inspired you to join the Lookingglass board?
I’ve been an active ensemble member since we started the company 36 years ago as an actor, director and producer. But I’ve also been a significant donor, and with this new chapter, I felt compelled to play a more active role in fundraising and oversight. Our Board is also a wonderful group of passionate, dedicated people and I was excited to get to know them more personally.
Why has it been important for you to maintain your connection to Chicago theater?
Lookingglass and Chicago have always been my artistic home. It’s where I’ve felt the most supported as an artist, empowered to take the greatest creative risks, and inspired by my fellow ensemble members—an incredible collective of actors, writers, directors and designers.
How has the theater’s hiatus influenced the company’s vision?
We’re experimenting with a new business model while doubling down on producing new and original work. Our mission is still to redefine the limits of theatrical experience and to make theater exhilarating, inspirational and accessible to all—but we must be more sustainable. This includes: Producing just two shows per season (for now); a wider range of cultural, educational and community programming in our new Lobby space; helping to revitalize the Mag Mile corridor; and exploring new sources of earned income including co-productions, touring, our Scene Shop and more.
What makes Lookingglass unique?
We’re an ensemble-based company, founded in 1988. We’re one of just a handful of Tony Award-winning theaters in Chicago. We’re a national leader in the creation and presentation of new, cutting-edge theatrical works. And we’re guided by an artistic vision centered on the core values of collaboration, transformation, and invention: Lookingglass seeks to capture audiences’ imaginations leaving them changed, charged, and empowered.
What would be your dream Lookingglass project?
Taking some fantastic, sweeping, epic adventure and adapting it for the stage, incorporating lots of humor and physicality. Oh wait, we’re doing that right now—with Circus Quixote!
Circus Quixote runs Jan. 30-March 30 at Lookingglass Theatre, 163 E. Pearson St., lookingglasstheatre.org.
Photography by: Photo by Brian Bowen Smith/Getty Images
