# Any Community Theater in Chicago?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 15, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541 "2006-11-15T16:37:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541/1 "2006-11-15T16:37:19Z")
Not quite sure if this belongs here or MPSIMS (or somwhere else) so move as needed Mods.
My girlfriend used to be very active doing plays (as an actress, set designer, makeup artist, most anything she could get her hands on). She moved downtown Chicago several months ago and is doing a 9-5 gig so her time is limited but she sorely misses working in theater.
So, on her behalf, I thought I’d ask here to see if any Dopers know of community theater she might be able to get in to in Chicago? I looked around but Chicago has a fairly vibrant theater scene and most of it seems geared to paying audiences using actors who work at it as their career (I realize many may have side jobs). While she would certainly love to become a big name actress someday and see her name in lights she is not delusional about it and going to quit her day job anytime soon. She’d be happy for theater she could participate in…whatever it might be.
So, any ideas on how/where she can get her foot in the door on this sort of thing? If it matters she lives in the Wrigleyville/Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago (for those of you who know where that is) but modest travel to wherever is certainly possible.
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### Author:  [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541/2 "2006-11-15T22:12:36Z")
Maybe the suburbs?
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### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541/3 "2006-11-15T22:16:24Z")
[Plenty!](http://www.centerstage.net/theatre/theatres/styles/communitytheaters.html)
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### Author:  [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-community-theater-in-chicago/380541/4 "2006-11-15T22:27:26Z")
My cousin, who actually _was_ deluded and moved out to California to make his name in lights, acted in a bunch of little stuff in Chicago. He sucked _hard_, but he had fun doing it!
As others have suggested, check the 'burbs. There’s all kinds of stuff.