After sustaining damage due to an electrical fire, the marquee sign of the Goodman Theatre will once again shine brightly.
The marquee on Dearborn Street above the theater’s entrance will be illuminated in a ceremony set for Thursday, months after flames shot out the top of the vertical sign. The May fire did not spread to the building. No one was injured.
The rectangular sign will be the same size with new 4-foot letters that spell “Goodman” placed within the original steel frame. The sign will be more energy efficient and the letters can change colors, according to the theater.
The original sign was erected in 2000 when the theater relocated to its current location on Dearborn just north of Randolph Street in the Loop’s theater district. The damaged letters will be recycled.
The lighting ceremony will coincide with the Ghostlight Project, a national effort on the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration calling on members of the theater community to gather outside theaters across the country, including more than a dozen in the Chicago area, and make or renew a pledge to “stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
The event aims to create “brave spaces” that welcome everyone and support activism and community engagement. “Our marquee is the brightest, most visible symbol of Goodman Theatre’s 30+ year commitment to high quality productions, cultural and aesthetic diversity on and off our stages, and proactive engagement in our Chicago community — a commitment that has distinguished us, and redefined what a major cultural institution can be,” Artistic Director Robert Falls said in a news release issued by the Tony Award-winning theater.
“We are proud to reaffirm this longtime commitment now, at a time when tensions in the United States have unleashed dark divisions. The illumination of our marquee is an essential symbol, shedding light on the values we believe are at the heart of our country.”
More Top Picks Best Rocker Recliners For Nursery
The theater plans to keep the sign lit 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Twitter @lvivanco