Chicago theaters to honor Martha Lavey with dimming of lights

Chicago’s theater community will pay tribute to the late Martha Lavey, the former artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre, who passed away Tuesday, by dimming marquee lights on Friday night, 30 minutes prior to shows’ curtain times.

In addition, a moment of silence will also be observed at each venue.

The custom of dimming marquee lights is a long-honored one among the theater community across the country, most notably Broadway. The lights are dimmed for one full minute prior to curtain time. The honor is generally reserved for the passing of a prominent member of the theater community, including actors, producers, composers, directors, theater critics, designers and executives, among others.

Participating theaters will include: Steppenwolf Theatre, Broadway in Chicago, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, Northlight Theatre and Writers Theatre, among many others.

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