CHICAGO (WLS) — Two of Chicago’s preeminent theatres are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.

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It’s fifty years for Steppenwolf, which was founded by three best friends, Gary Sinese, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry.

Audrey Francis is the artistic director at the Steppenwolf Theatre.

She says Sinise recently sent her the first program from high school, from 1974.

“They were just three teens creating the work that excited them,” says Francis.

The theatre is in Lincoln Park now, but early performances took place in the basement of a Highland Park church.

The Goodman Theatre is celebrating 100 years.

It was founded by a couple as a tribute to their playwright son, Kenneth Sawyer Goodman.

It was originally affiliated with the Art Institute of Chicago, before breaking off on its own.

Today, it is Chicago’s oldest and largest not-for-profit theatre, thriving for a century, when others have not.

“The Goodman’s never been content to rest on its laurels. The most dangerous thing that a theater, I think any institution, can do is become complacent in the face of success. And that’s simply not in the DNA of this place. So that’s part of it” says Susan V. Booth, the Walter Artistic Director at the Goodman Theatre.

For more information visit:

https://www.goodmantheatre.org/

https://www.steppenwolf.org/