Steppenwolf Theatre Company

The juggernaut that’s home to maybe the world’s most famous acting ensemble (paging Gary Sinise, John Mahoney, Laurie Metcalf, Martha Plimpton, William Petersen…) is probably what most people outside Chicago think of when they hear “Chicago theater.” From famous basement origins has risen a major institution where two performance venues house a lineup of new and classic plays (a third, the Garage just down the street, hosts a somewhat funkier slate).