Shakespeare Theatre

940 E. 43rd Street,
Chicago, IL 60653

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Alfred Hamburger Theaters, Schoenstadt

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Photo courtesy LeRoy Blommaert.

Located in the North Kenwood/Oakland district. The Shakespeare Theatre was built in 1914 for the Alfred Hamburger circuit. By 1941 it was operated by the H. Schoenstadt & Sons circuit.

The Shakespeare Theatre was closed in 1961 and became a church. It has since been demolished and housing built on the site.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 1 comments)

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on December 11, 2017 at 4:43 pm

The Shakespeare Theatre changed hands at least twice in 1917. The first notice was from Motography of July 14, 1917:

“William H. Maher is going into the theater business with both feet. He has taken over the Shakespeare Theater, 43rd and Ellis, and is said to be eyeing some other desirable showhouses. The Clifton on Wilson avenue, owned by him, must be one of the paying kind, or he wouldn’t be expanding right now.”
The second notice is in Motography, November 3, 1917:
“Marx and Goodman have added another playhouse pearl to their string in the form of the Shakespeare Theater at 941 East Forty-third street. This rapidly growing concern now has control of four fine theaters, all of which are in the big-house class. The new Broadway Strand is a house with a seating capacity of 1,000, which will open in about six weeks. The Orpheus with a seating capacity of 800 seats, is only a block away on Twelfth and Ashland.

“The Marshfield Amusement Company, as these progressive exhibitors denominate themselves, are also the owners of the Marshfield Square Theater, one of the finest houses in the city. It has a seating capacity of 1,800.”

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