Image by: Marisa KM
Join Hull-House Associate Director Matthew Randle-Bent and historian Dr. Fiona Maxwell for a special, theatre history focused tour of Hull-House and conversation surveying theatre histories at Chicago's oldest social settlement. Since 1889, Hull-House has been at the forefront of Chicago theatre. From its early experiments in community theatre with immigrant neighbors on the Near West Side, to the Little Theatre, Federal Theatre Project, and, since the 1960s, as a leader in Chicago's vibrant storefront and non-profit theatre scenes, Hull-House has championed theatre as a method of civic engagement.
An epic citywide year-long event—100 Free Acts of Theater—activates all 50 wards of Chicago. Designed as a celebration of the artistic fabric of Chicago, The Goodman Theatre is partnering with the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum and organizations across the city during its Centennial Season to amplify existing programming and collaborate on new efforts.
Act Well Your Part is the exhibition, recurring festival, and forthcoming catalogue celebrating over a century of theatre at Hull-House. The Act Well Your Part festival will return in Fall 2026.
Dr. Fiona Maxwell
Dr. Maxwell is an historian and theatre artist whose research and creative practice explores how ensemble-based performance facilitates participatory civic culture. She received her PhD in History from the University of Chicago and is currently developing her first book project, Democratic Ensembles: Spoken Art and Politics at Chicago Settlement Houses.
Dr. Matthew Randle-Bent
Dr. Randle-Bent is the Associate Director at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum. He is currently working on the museum’s next catalogue, Act Well Your Part, on the history of Hull-House theatre. He has published essays and articles on global modern/contemporary art, theatre, and performance. He is a board member at Remy Bumppo Theatre Company.
Act Well Your Part is supported by the Discovery Partners Institute.
