A fairly fabulous history of Chicago queer theatre

This dissertation explores the unique theatrical landscape of Chicago that fostered the creation of groundbreaking LGBTQ+ plays: Henry Blake Fuller’s At Saint Judas’s (1896) to Jeff Hagedorn’s one (1983). Chicago's history is marked by a theatrical tradition rooted in marginalized queerness, partly due to city-imposed sanctions on theater buildings. Through a dramaturgical approach and theatrical microhistory methodology, this dissertation embarks on a journey from early gay theater to Hagedorn's work, prioritizing marginalized voices and archives. By applying queer theory to historical analysis, this study reveals how Chicago's social and political climate enabled the development of Off-Loop theatre and contributed to shaping the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Ultimately, this dissertation offers new insights into the evolution of both Chicago’s theater and queer communities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theatre

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kipp, Dan W.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Pullen, Kirsten
• Herrera, Brian
• Beauchamp, Toby
• Miller, Thom

• Chicago Theatre history
• LGBTQ+ history
• queer theater Chicago
• Off-Loop theatre
• Chicago community theatre
• LGBTQ+ community
• queer dramaturgy

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Daniel W Kipp

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129409

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129409