Profiles Theatre Chicago

Profiles Theatre
Formation1988
Dissolved2016
TypeTheatre group
Location
Artistic director(s)
Joe Jahraus
Darrell W. Cox
Websiteprofilestheatre.org

Profiles Theatre was a small, formerly non-Equity theater company based in Chicago. The company was founded in 1988 by artistic director Joe Jahraus, and it developed a reputation for emotionally powerful and dramatically intense productions, including the multiple Jeff Award-winning Killer Joe.[1][2]

In June 2016 the Chicago Reader published an article alleging an extensive pattern of workplace abuse and sexual harassment on the part of the theater company's artistic director Darrell W. Cox.[3][4][5] Later that month, the theater announced that it was closing.[6]

In response to concerns about harassment and abuse at some non-Equity Chicago theaters, including Profiles Theatre, the organization Not in Our House was founded by Lori Myers, Laura T. Fisher, and other theater professionals. Not in Our House developed a code of conduct called the Chicago Theatre Standards which has been adopted by a number of theater companies.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ Sullivan, Catey (June 8, 2010). "Killer Joe and Chess Sweep Last Night's Non-Equity Jeff Awards", Chicago magazine. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  2. ^ Dale, Michael (June 13, 2016). "Jeff Awards Will Address Petition to Revoke Darrell W. Cox's 2010 Killer Joe Honor", Broadway World. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  3. ^ Levitt, Aimee; Piatt, Christopher (June 8, 2016). "At Profiles Theatre the Drama—and Abuse—Is Real". Chicago Reader. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  4. ^ Weiss, Hedy (June 10, 2016). "Reader's Story about Profiles Theatre Generates Massive Response", Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  5. ^ Sherman, Howard (June 10, 2016). "In Wake of Profiles Theatre Expose, a Few Points to Know", Arts Integrity Initiative. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  6. ^ Jones, Chris; Metz, Nina (June 15, 2016). "Profiles Theatre Closes; Actor Responds to Allegations of Misconduct", Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  7. ^ Levitt, Aimee (March 28, 2017). "Nearly a Year After Profiles, Chicago Theater Professionals Are Still Learning to Talk to Each Other About Abuse". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 17, 2019.
  8. ^ Cox, Gordon (October 17, 2017). "Sexual Harassment in the Theater: How Chicago Fought Back". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2019.