In the origin story of Chicago – and its evolution into one of the most vibrant cultural capitals of the world and one that is continually named as The Best Big City in the U.S. – a catalyzing event that transformed the city was the infamous Great Fire of the 19th century. The Fire is now commonly understood as the consequence of poor urban planning, embedded structural flaws that cost hundreds of homes, businesses, and lives. Devastated as it was, the city seized the moment as an opportunity for a rebuilding process that left behind an era of outdated design and resulted in one of the most architecturally advanced cityscapes and culturally eclectic epicenters of the modern era. The lore of Chicago’s history and rebirth reveals a useful recipe for metamorphosis: a healthy dose of grit, a splash of ingenuity, a penchant for collaboration, and a will to always do better by its people.

The story of Chicago echoes the story of our field – comprising many stories – that we are still telling. “The field is on fire,” we say, and we stay. As antiquated structures smolder around us, we seize the moment as one of possibility, we look around, and we try to determine what we will save. From June 20-22, 2024, TCG and the League of Chicago Theatres will welcome theatre practitioners to the City of the Big Shoulders, where together we will answer the call of possibility, design new tools, and get to worldbuilding. We will take inspiration from Chicago’s energetic and diverse theatre community to scaffold new structures and begin telling our stories anew. We will work, we will play, and we will visit new places; at our first national gathering in two years, and our second hybrid Conference, TCG’s in-person programming will burst out of the confines of a hotel, and disperse into the city’s many cultural venues, historical sites, and hubs of creative innovation. Keep an eye out for both in-person and virtual registration to launch in November, and join us in June (with your sleeves rolled up).