January 18, 2017 | Feature Features National
Michael Halberstam
Artistic director, Writers Theatre, Glencoe
If Michael Halberstam were the kind of guy to rest on his laurels, he would certainly be entitled, given the kind of year he just rang out. Among his many accomplishments in 2016, Halberstam—co-founder and artistic director of Writers Theatre in Glencoe—was honored with a Jeff Award for his artistic leadership in building a theater with a national reputation for excellence. And considering that Writers Theatre started out in the back room of a Glencoe bookstore, he has every right to be proud of its stunning new Jeanne Gang-designed state-of-the-art home. “The proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and we just produced our fifth production in the space and it works beautifully,” Halberstam says. That production, East Texas Hot Links, a moving story about racial justice featuring an all-black cast, runs through Jan. 22. And February marks the premiere of The Scene, a comedy-drama about sex, show business and the New York social scene, written by Theresa Rebeck, creator of Smash. “This is one of her seminal pieces—it’s filled with wit and has a very impactful ending,” Halberstam says. “Big things are ahead for Writers Theatre in 2017—stay tuned.”
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