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A dimly lit stage with a group of actors. Sheets of paper have been tossed in the air. The back of the stage is lit by a series of lightbulbs.

International Stages

The Goodman’s international initiatives stem from the theater’s vision to be a major cultural force in Chicago and its commitment to diversity. Part of that commitment includes reaching beyond our country’s borders to increase cultural exchange in our community. In a world in which globalization is a reality, it is essential that American audiences experience the cultural life of the rest of the world and that outstanding artistic work from this country travel abroad. Goodman Theatre seeks opportunities to foster collaborations and presentations with international companies, including and beyond the English speaking world. We promote cultural exchange which can enrich our community through:

  • Fostering collaborations between international and American artists to create new productions
  • Touring work created at the Goodman abroad
  • Presenting work by international companies at the Goodman
  • Co-productions with international theater companies and festivals

Latino Theatre Festival

The Goodman’s Latino Theatre Festival, curated by Artistic Associate Henry Godinez, is a celebration of Latino culture, featuring performances from some of the most extraordinary Latino theater artists in the world.

Past International Goodman Productions

A View From The Bridge (2017)

Visionary Belgian director Ivo van Hove helms this raw, pulsating production of Arthur Miller’s 1955 play.

Camino Real (2012)

In March, 2012, Spanish director Calixto Bieito directs Goodman Theatre’s production of Camino Real.

Belarus Free Theatre (2011)

In January, 2011, in an unprecedented event Goodman Theatre brought Eastern Europe’s Belarus Free Theatre to Chicago for a limited engagement of their highly acclaimed play, Being Harold Pinter. Belarus Free Theatre was formed in 2005 in part to provide an opportunity for commentary on conditions in their country—one of the last totalitarian countries in Eastern Europe—and its work has been praised and supported by numerous artists, though putting them in danger at the hands of their government. After performing at The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival in early 2011, and without a subsequent invitation to perform in the US, the Free Theater would have to return to Belarus, putting them at great risk.

The Goodman then took the lead and, in association with Northwestern University, the League of Chicago Theatres and Chicago Shakespeare Theater, issued an invitation to the company to perform in Chicago. The hope is that the month in Chicago would allow the artists to consider their options—including requesting political asylum in the United States.

A GLOBAL EXPLORATION: Eugene O’Neill in the 21st Century (2009)

For Goodman Theatre’s 2009 exploration of Eugene O’Neill, then Artistic Director Robert Falls viewed the twentieth century “father of the American drama” through a twenty-first century international lens: a handful of the world’s leading theater companies brought to Chicago their highly contemporary, inventive interpretations of O’Neill’s dramas to plumb the depths of this important playwright’s work.

  • Desire Under the Elms—Goodman Theatre (Chicago, IL)
  • The Emperor Jones—Wooster Group (New York, NY)
  • Homens Ao Mar (Sea Plays)—Companhia Triptal (São Paulo, Brazil)
  • The Hairy Ape—The Hypocrites (Chicago, IL)
  • Rouw Siert Electra (Mourning Becomes Electra)—Toneelgroep Amsterdam (Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
  • Strange Interlude—The Neo-Futurists (Chicago, IL)

Goodman Theatre Productions Abroad

In addition to hosting and producing international work, Goodman world premieres have also gone on to international stages:

  • Death of a Salesman—Lyric Theatre, London, England (2005)
  • Galileo Galilei—Barbican Theatre, London, England (2002)
  • The Merchant of Venice—Barbican Theatre, London, England (1994)
  • The Iceman Cometh—Abbey Theatre, Dublin, Ireland (1992)