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"My mother and father were nurturing and supportive. Even the Chicago Tribune, which was generally hostile toward the Federal Theatre and other New Deal programs, considered Spirochete a "valuable contribution. Location Info. Required fields are marked *. She gave up her career upon marrying Reskin in 1955; however, she spent thirty years as the Midwest Regional Auditioner for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Subsequently, attendance declined. In 1934, they leased the theatre to Playgoer's Incorporated, although this group only lasted a year. the first two periods until Milwaukee's blg third chukker. The Blackstone was dark from 1986 until August 1988, when it reopened to Lily Tomlin's one woman show "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe." This was followed by Eugene O'Neill's Marco Millions, and Ben Jonson's Volpone adapted by Stefan Zweig. [20], When the Shubert Organization decided to divest the majority of its Chicago theatres, the Blackstone Theatre building was offered to DePaul University. For more than 30 years Merle has been the midwest regional audtioner for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. When Big Sisters was still a new organization, it held one of its first benefits at the Blackstone. Ken, four, and Bill Stevens, three, and, match against Barrington at Uihlein Field. Berger was hired ll 1978 to represent, Jim, jr., five goals. Celebrity how publishes up-to date right information on Celebrity Merle Reskin , Mainly about Merle Reskin Physical stats(Height,Weight,Hair Colour,Eye Colour) and Merle Reskin Biography (Age,Birth Date, Birth Place,Education) and Merle ReskinCareer (Profession,Net Worth,Famous for,Hobbies). Worthington Miner, the producer of 'Studio One' saw me in The Little Foxes at the American Academy and put me on the show as soon as I graduated. [2] Seating capacity was 1,400 people until 1988, when renovations to reinstate the orchestra pit and to create seating for handicapped persons reduced the seat count to 1,325. George Arliss gave "a remarkable characterization" of the British prime minister in Disraeli (1914), by Louis N. Parker. The Blackstone Theatre on Hubbard Court (later renamed Seventh Street and then Balbo Drive) adjoined the Blackstone Hotel on Michigan Avenue, which had opened a year earlier. The gift is the . Ethel Barrymore played Laura in Pinero's The Second Mrs. Tanqueray (1925). During the renovations by DePaul University in 1988, some of the Blackstone's seats were removed to reinstate the orchestra pit and to create seating for handicapped persons, reducing the total to 1,325 seats. The world premiere of Howard Koch's The Lonely Man, a drama about Abraham Lincoln's reincarnation as a liberal professor and union lawyer at a small college in Kentucky, ran for 12 weeks in 1937, and was praised by Chicago Daily News critic Lloyd Lewis as "the most ambitious and literate of the W.P.A. The following year, Buddy Ebsen starred in "Good Night Ladies! Before leaving a comment, please note: Comments allow viewers to share information with others or alert us to errors or changes in a New Deal site. Rehearsals of Meyer Levin's Model Tenement, concerning housing problems that culminated in a rent strike, were halted after higher administrators in the W.P.A. [17] Mr. Erlanger had died in March, the country was in the midst of the Depression, and newspaper reports remarked on how many businesses were suffering. The period of prosperity for live theatre in the early 1940s did not last long. Function: view, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/controllers/Main.php [3], 1959 saw the premiere of Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." The most damaging impact on national attendance at both live theatre and movies resulted from the rise of television: the number of sets in American households soared from 14,000 in 1947 to 32,000,000 in 1954. People stayed home to watch their favorite programs and went out for the evening much less frequently. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in 1992, it is now part of DePaul University, and is also used for events and performances of other groups. Teatro Merle Reskin; ; Merle Reskin Theatre; ; theatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States; ; Theater in den Vereinigten Staaten; theater in Illinois, Verenigde Staten van Amerika; Blackstone Theatre, theatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Merle_Reskin_Theatre&oldid=306643491, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Business Operations Manager; kchris26@depaul.edu; View Bio; Dean Corrin. John T. Richardson C.M., president of DePaul University, said, "It gives me great pleasure to say that during its 80th anniversary year, the Blackstone Theatre is alive and well and busier than ever!" Mrs. Muskal had a special touch for getting children to eat their meals, even when they said they were not hungry, Reskin said. [3] With the rise of other forms of entertainment, such as television, attendance at live theaters declined and the Shubert Organization scaled back the Blackstone's season from 28 weeks to as few as 14 weeks each year. Hers was an artistic one, filled with warmth, intellect andlaughter, and it was bursting with the sound of music. Frank Barnes Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Cameron Bender Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Terry Dexter Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Jack Goldenberg Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Dylan Gelula Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Jasmeet Singh Bhatia (Actor) Age, Height, Weight, Net Worth & Bio, Hayden Christensen Age, Height, Weight, ex-Girlfriend, Net Worth and Bio, Pooja Hegde (Actress) Age, Height,Net Worth & Bio, Priyanka Chopra Age, Height, Weight, Boyfriend, Salary, Net Worth & Bio, Unsolved Mysteries season 1 review Netflixs, Merle Reskin educated at MEDICAL CAREER & TECHNICAL COLLEGE. [12] This trend of presenting touring company versions would continue in later years, when most of the performances at the Blackstone were plays which had already won the Pulitzer Prize or the Tony Award, and were presented by touring companies from New York. And Ethel Barrymore appeared in Tante (1914), a comedy by Charles Haddon Chambers based on a novel by Anne Douglas Sedgwick, and in The Shadow (1915), by Dario Niccodemi and Michael Morton. When Big Sisters was still a new organization, it held one of its first benefits at the Blackstone. This was just a small part of the Theatrical Syndicate that the three had organized in New York in 1896. In 1991, the DePaul Blackstone Theatre celebrated its 80th birthday. [14] The Blackstone was also the home to a large women's suffrage rally and conference in 1916; in attendance were 1,200 suffragists from all over the United States. Though incorporated as Glendale, the name was changed to Glendale Heights in March 1960, because there was another Glendale, in southern Illinois. Cosa possiamo fare This category has only the following subcategory. Find Merle Reskin Theatre stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Merle Reskin Interview by Carolyn Kaplan, 1992. James McEachin was born on May 20, 1930 in Rennert, North Carolina. Is photographing them inches from the room width ( 132 - 40 = 92 inches ) dramatically improve Communications. [1] The original address was on Hubbard Court,[1][2] which was later renamed Seventh Street, and renamed once again to East Balbo Drive, the current name. Many well-known actors and actresses appeared in the varied repertoire at the Blackstone Theatre. The stage has served as a foundation for the training of hundreds of artists. The Theatre School > About > Facilities > Merle Reskin Theatre. Merle's priorities changed when she met Harold Reskin. [7], The Blackstone was managed by Harry J. The population stood at 104 on June 16, 1959, when a petition to incorporate was filed. Husband of Private Phone: (773) 325-7864 June 25, 2019 vj1wm Actor, age-33, birthdate-12, birthMonth-5, birthyear-1986, NA Wrong Info? Some of the actors who graced the stage of the Blackstone include William Gillette, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Ruth Gordon, Katharine Cornell, Cornelia Otis Skinner, and Spencer Tracy. Starring Percy Waram and Lillian Gish, the Chicago production opened in February 1940, and eventually ran for 66 weeks, establishing a record as the longest-running production in the city's history. Originally named the Blackstone Theatre it was built in 1910. After leaving the military he spent time as a policeman and then fireman before moving to California and becoming a record producer. Ruth Gordon and Cornelia Otis Skinner starred in Bristol Glass (1923), a comedy by Booth Tarkington and Harry Leon Wilson. Three months later we eloped, October 28, 1955." During the 1950s, the Blackstone's seasons ranged from 14 to 33 weeks. Celebrity Bio, Net worth, Age, Height etc, Merle Reskin (American actress and sponsor of the arts). By that time Chicago Tribune drama critic Cecil Smith could report in his summary of The Best Plays for 1939-40 that "for the first time in a decade it is possible to submit a reasonably bright and cheery account of theatre in Chicago." Function: view, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/index.php mollymauk tealeaf tattoos; how far does a secondary wave travel in 10 minutes; flights from pakistan to usa cancelled Harold is a very private man, but he's one of the kindest people I've ever known. At this time, the Shubert Organization decided it was time to divest itself of all Chicago theatres except for the Shubert Theatre on Monroe Street. 2350 N. Kenmore Ave. His first production was a dramatization of Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, which started a 16-week run in October 1936. The first houses were built that year on Glen Ellyn Road and Larry Lane near Fullerton. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences series produced by The Theatre School of DePaul. Anna Pavlova in 1916 and Louis N. Parker's "Disraeli. [12] This trend of presenting touring company versions would continue in later years, when most of the performances at the Blackstone were plays which had already won the Pulitzer Prize or the Tony Award, and were presented by touring companies from New York. Soi cu x s uy tn As Miss Wonder, Merle was the star of the Mr. Rogers-like children's show. DePaul University's Theatre School was founded as the Goodman School of Drama in 1925. dramas. Mason. "[11] But while some of these productions were the equal of the version that played in New York, Tribune theatre critic Hammond observed on several occasions that the Chicago companies lacked the biggest stars. [20], When the Shubert Organization decided to divest the majority of its Chicago theatres, the Blackstone Theatre building was offered to DePaul University. Rev. The situation changed after Flanagan sent George Kondolf, a young New York producer, to become the Federal Theatre's director for Chicago. Originally, a canopy of iron and glass jutted out from the gray sandstone of the theatre's facade, but this was later replaced by a marquee. Presented under the auspices of the American Federation for Sex Hygiene and the American Vigilance Association, the play attracted an opening-night audience filled with welfare and settlement-house workers. They built the Blackstone Hotel and Theatre on a site previously occupied by Timothy Blackstone's home. Merle Reskin Theatre- Formerly known as the Blackstone Theatre, it was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in November 1992. After The Best Plays restored a brief section on Chicago in 1963 in "The Season Around the United States," critic Glenna Syse wrote that "Chicago is scorned as a pre-Broadway stop for tryouts. Playbills indicate that the Slavin Amusement Company operated the Blackstone Theatre from early 1942 to mid-1945, followed by the Blackstone Theatre Company, which in 1948 was succeeded by the "Messrs. As a result, attendance at theatres declined during the 1950s and 1960s. Founded in 1919 in New York, the Guild decided in 1928 to enlarge its playing company and present subscription series in Chicago and five other cities. The Federal Theatre Project, established by the Works Progress Administration in 1935, leased the Blackstone and the Great Northern theatres for its rehearsals and performances in Chicago. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Harold and I believe the theatre dedication is symbolic of our ongoing zest for life.". Meanwhile, the Blackstone Theatre was dark throughout 1987. John T. Richardson Library [6] The Blackstone Theatre officially opened on December 31, 1910, with the premiere of a Chicago playwright George Ade's newest play "U.S. Minister Bedloe. In 1959 Second City began honing the improvisational skills of successive members of its ensemble in satirical reviews. Merle Reskin lives in Northbrook, IL; previous city include Glendale Heights IL. Reviewing the company's "nightly scraps with Shakespeare," Leslie wrote that "everything physical creaks and everything spiritual fumes and everything emotional sags in these unhappy exhibitions. Powers,[8] a Chicago businessman with extensive experience in the theatre: he had worked his way up from his early days as an usher to ultimately become one of Mr. Erlanger's most trusted associated; Powers remained as the Blackstone's manager throughout its first two decades. During the 1920s the Blackstone presented 60 plays by playwrights such as George Bernard Shaw, Eugene O'Neill, Sen O'Casey, Sir Arthur Wing Pinero, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Ben Jonson, Oliver Goldsmith, Frank Craven, Ring Lardner, and George M. Coordinates: 41.8731972, -87.6253074. Benson, they offered fourteen of Shakespeare's plays in two weeks during early November 1913. TonyTheTiger (t/c/bio/WP:CHICAGO/WP:LOTM) 15:23, 9 December 2008 (UTC) Reply ; Evelyn Muskal, 92, who volunteered for many years to benefit children and the poor and who was the mother of Chicago singer and actress Merle Reskin, died of heart failure Friday, Oct. 13, in . A later program stated that "this theatre, under normal conditions, with every seat occupied, can be emptied in less than three minutes. Drake's sons, Tracy Drake and John Burroughs Drake, took over the management of the family estate after their father's death. On weekends he works with handicapped children in the Easter Seals program, teaching them to ride horses. [16], Because the Blackstone Theatre was a touring theatre, many actors appeared there who would not have otherwise had that opportunity if the venue had specialized in new productions. [3], During the first decade of operation, the Blackstone Theatre featured a number of unique productions. The building was designed by Marshall and Fox and developed by Tracy C. Drake and John Drake of Drake Hotel fame on the former site of Timothy Blackstone's mansion and adjacent to the Blackstone Hotel. Subcategories. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Line: 192 [15] And keeping up with the times, some of the performances from the stage of the Blackstone were heard on Chicago-area radio station WTAS, thanks to station owner Charles Erbstein, who thought it was a good idea to use the theatre for live broadcasts, and began doing so in early 1925. Though the series was never bought, it is a touching legacy for her children: daughter Leslie and her husband Paul Neilan; son Jim and his wife Rhonda; and grandchildren Sean, Spencer, Ericand Melanie. Shubert." Harold Washington Library Center Among them were the performances of the Stratford-upon-Avon Players. The next booking was scheduled for August 1988, when Lily Tomlin was to open an eight-week engagement in The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. [3] In addition to The Theatre School, the building is also used by other arts organizations. This rose to 235 weeks in 1942-43 and 329 weeks in 1945-46. What Merle is not shy about expressing is her happiness, awe and gratitude for what Harold has done for her, Chicago, DePaul University, and most importantly, the students of The Theatre School who are the real beneficiaries of this philanthropic tour de force. Merle also sang for charitable organizations. It joined DePaul University in 1978,[18] and was renamed The Theatre School at DePaul University in 1985. The following year, Buddy Ebsen starred in "Good Night Ladies! The auditorium's indirect ceiling lighting was supplemented by lights (set in gold-colored sconces and muted by silk shades) along the side walls. '", "By the time I was fifteen I was singing arias. Line: 107 The historic Blackstone Theatre is renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre, following receipt of a gift in excess of $2 million from Harold Reskin to rename the theater in honor of his wife, Merle. Please enable scripts and reload this page. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences . In 1934, they leased the theatre to Playgoer's Incorporated, although this group only lasted a year. At the age of 18 he joined the US Armed Forces and served in the Korean War earning many medals of valor to include the Purple Heart and Silver Star. Associate Dean for Curriculum and Instruction; Theatre Studies, Associate Dean, Interim Head of Theatre Arts, Theatre Studies; Student Advising Associate, Associate Dean of Interdisciplinary Initiative and Academic Innovation and Professor of Directing and Acting, Manager of Information Technology and Operations, Director of Marketing and Public Relations. The total cost of the theatre was $500,000. 60 E. Balbo Ave. Chicago, IL 60605 Box Office: (773) 325-7900 theatreboxoffice@depaul.edu. By the 1929-30 season, the Theatre Guild's subscription list at the Blackstone had grown to nearly 15,000, and Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude, starring Judith Anderson and Tom Powers, achieved a 17-week run. Although seasons at the Blackstone now included more dark nights than evenings with performances, many good plays were offered there from 1965 to 1985. In 1992, Harold and Merle Reskin made a sizable donation to the Theatre School, and on November 20, the theatre was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre. Richard Bennett played the role of a profligate man who contracted the disease and then married a young woman without informing her of his condition. Equipped with an extraordinary voice, a streak of determination and hard work to buttress both, she accomplished a great deal in five professional years. The building was designed by Marshall and Fox and developed by Tracy C. Drake and John Drake of Drake Hotel fame on the former site of Timothy Blackstone's mansion and adjacent to the Blackstone Hotel. Kondolf's goal was to produce new plays that originated in Chicago. At this time, the Shubert Organization decided it was time to divest itself of all Chicago theatres except for the Shubert Theatre on Monroe Street. Merle Reskin age is around 33,as Merle Reskin was born on the 12th of May, 1986 in NA. Under the direction of F.R. ", which ran for 100 weeks. 1 E. Jackson Blvd. The 52-week seasons achieved by the Blackstone Theatre in the early 1940s reflected the return of some degree of prosperity for the remaining live theatres in Chicago. But Hallie Flanagan, national director of the Federal Theatre Project, dismissed the plays as "nothing but new heights of old hokum." [2], In an era when most entertainment was performed live on stage, the opening of a new theatre was considered so newsworthy that major newspapers reported on it. ", Merle describes Harold as "quietly philanthropic." Both were built by Tracy C. Drake and John B. Drake and by Chicago architects Benjamin Howard Marshall and Charles Eli Fox. Percy Hammond's review of opening night in 1910 for the Chicago Tribune had praised the unusual comfort of the seats, which he wrote were "of a luxurious width and arrangement, calculated to provide an ease of body and mind not often encountered in a theatre.". Summarize this article for a 10 years old. Soon after, Merle became a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity and AFTRA. "Even if he doesn't feel well himself, he's there because he feels it's important for these kids to ride. merle reskin biotraffic signal warrant analysis example. I was up for a part in the movie Marty. GA Review Starting GAR.Pyrotec 11:27, 7 December 2008 (UTC) Reply Initial review. Richardson and Harold became friends when Harold attended DePaul's College of Law (Harold graduated in 1953) and they have remained very close friends. "She devoted her life to charity work," said Reskin, for whom DePaul University's Merle Reskin Theatre is named. During 1958 Midland Enterprises, operated by Charles and Harold Reskin, bought two farms on Glen Ellyn Road north of North Avenue. The Merle Reskin Theatre was built in 1910 and acquired by DePaul in 1988. By August of 1988 the Shubert Organization had decided to dispose of the Blackstone Theatre, as it had already done with all its other Chicago theatres except the Shubert. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences series produced by The Theatre School of DePaul. . From 1942 through 1945, the theatre was run by Slavin Amusement Company. Can you list the top facts and stats about Merle Reskin Theatre? Myrna Loy appeared in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park in 1965; Dan Dailey and Richard Benjamin toured in Simon's The Odd Couple in 1966; Katharine Hepburn starred in Enid Bagnold's A Matter of Gravity in 1977; and Henry Fonda appeared with Eva Marie Saint in Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee's First Monday in October in 1979. and Ken. [3], The Blackstone was saved in the 1930s by the Federal Theatre Project, which leased the theatre in 1936 and continued to use it for rehearsals and productions until the program was abolished by Congress in 1939. A new organization called Playgoer's, Inc., with Seymour Blair as chairman, leased the theatre in 1934 for a subscription series of five productions. Select from premium Merle Reskin Theatre of the highest quality. Cohan. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. On that occasion Amy Leslie reported that the audience called Adams back repeatedly for curtain calls in "a kind of hysterical ovation.". The program informed patrons that the play contained no disgusting or scandalous scenes and could be viewed by everyone "unless we must believe that folly and ignorance are necessary conditions of female virtue.". The article is a good read and appears to have a good chance of making GA. . Tracy and John Drake, the owners of the Blackstone Theatre building, took over the management of the theatre for a year. Theoni V. Aldredge (GSD) designed the costumes for Clothes for a Summer Hotel as well as for Cactus Flower and You Know I Can't Hear When the Water's Running, both in 1968. The Goodman School of Drama was founded in 1925. ", which ran for 100 weeks. When Walter Hampden brought his revival of Cyrano de Bergerac on a cross-country tour to the Blackstone for one week in 1932, the theatre was sold out for every performance, and box-office receipts for the week were the second highest in the Blackstone's history. [6] The Blackstone Theatre officially opened on December 31, 1910, with the premiere of a Chicago playwright George Ade's newest play "U.S. Minister Bedloe. Each season, the school offers a wide range of public programming for the community of Chicago. After a week of performances by the Abbey Theatre Players from Dublin in 1935, no more professional touring productions appeared at the Blackstone until 1941. The International Theatre Festival, several of Chicago's dance companies and other arts organizations also use the theatre. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals. The Blackstone Theatre in Chicago was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in 1992. Of the event, Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "Having physically saved and improved the Blackstone DePaul also has made sure that the theatre's artistic content is at a high level for the reopening.". The DePaul Theatre School now performs here. [3], At the end of 1930, it was announced that the Blackstone Theatre Company was terminating its lease. [2] Seating capacity was 1,400 people until 1988, when renovations to reinstate the orchestra pit and to create seating for handicapped persons reduced the seat count to 1,325. In 1969 the Body Politic and Organic Theatre opened, and Goodman Theatre became a professional organization. The theater has a history of live performances that have often been touring productions of hit and prize-winning shows. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and . The building is six stories tall and built in a French Renaissance style. [17] Mr. Erlanger had died in March, the country was in the midst of the Depression, and newspaper reports remarked on how many businesses were suffering. long island high school colors and mascots. [2] The July 1909 Tribune article also pointed out that this new theatre would be an ornate "movie palace", able to seat about 1,200 people and costing in excess of half a million dollars to build. Special Collections and Archives The lobby was finished in French walnut and gold, with a box office at the western end. The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois.Originally named the Blackstone Theatre it was built in 1910. Merle made a television pilot called Wonder Window with Glen Tetley of the New York City Ballet and choreographer John Butler. The Theatre School began officially performing in the Blackstone on March 21, 1989, with a production of The Misanthrope by Molire. The marriage of one of the country's oldest theatre schools to one of Chicago's oldest remaining theatres devoted to live performance was a momentous occasion. After The Art Institute of Chicago decided to discontinue the Goodman School in 1978, it was taken over by DePaul. Who better to name a theatre for than Merle Reskin, a former actress, singerandpatron of the arts? She would much rather be talking about myriad things rather than herself, but she must because her husband, Harold, has bestowed an enormous honor upon her: the gift of a theatre in her name. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Chairman Gerald Schoenfeld offered the building to DePaul University because it is "an organization that is vigorously involved in the theatre arts in Chicago.". junio 16, 2022 . Function: require_once, Message: Undefined variable: user_membership, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php [1] The original address was on Hubbard Court,[1][2] which was later renamed Seventh Street, and renamed once again to East Balbo Drive, the current name. [9] The Blackstone's first productions featured some of that era's best known performers and playwrightsfor example, after "U.S. Minister Bedloe" came a David Belasco production, "The Return of Peter Grimm", starring David Warfield. The Blackstone Hotel and Theatre were named after Timothy B. Blackstone, an early Chicago businessman who was one of the first directors of the Union Stock Yards and a partner of hotel magnate John Burroughs Drake, owner of the Tremont House and the Grand Pacific Hotel. [3] In addition to The Theatre School, the building is also used by other arts organizations. Originally named the Blackstone Theatre it was built in 1910. (Hendele Heights, allstars Teammates will be Tommy Wayman, 6, Hugo Dalmar, 4, and. For years, Mrs. Muskal volunteered at Children's Memorial Hospital and also devoted her time to children in the burn unit at Cook County Hospital. Building owners John and Tracy Drake managed the theatre for a year before foreclosure loomed in 1932. Concetta Tomei (GSD '75) appeared in the The Elephant Man in 1980 and Elizabeth Perkins (TTS '81) starred in Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs in 1984. The Blackstone continued to bring well-known stars to Chicago during the 1920s. If you are interested in learning more about the Goodman School of Drama and The Theatre School at DePaul University, additional archives are located at: Goodman School of Drama Archive By the 1980s Chicago was recognized as "the hottest theatre town in America. Oscar Sertin rented the Blackstone and refurbished it for his immensely popular presentation of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse's Life With Father. closed Paul Green's Hymn to the Rising Sun, which dealt with the brutality of chain gangs, on opening night while the audience was already waiting in the lobby. As with the hotel, the theatre took its name from Timothy Blackstone, whose mansion had previously occupied the site. Formerly the Blackstone Theatre, it was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in late 1992 following receipt of a gift in excess of $2 million from Harold Reskin, spouse of former actress Merle, for whom the theatre is now named. The Blackstone Theatre became a leading center for drama soon after it opened on New Year's Eve, 1910.