The Quadrangle Players is a play-reading society founded more than 50 years ago in the Hyde Park area of the city of Chicago, Illinois. Many of the founders were connected to the University of Chicago and resided in the neighborhood surrounding the campus.

The membership shared a love of the theatre and an interest in investigating dramatic literature. They gathered one Sunday evening per month from October through May to present a play chosen and cast by a volunteer producer. Minimal movement and props were part of the production. The play-reading evenings took place in members’ Hyde Park homes, with supper following the performance. In the early days, the dress code for men was white tie; after World War II, black tie prevailed.

Today the Quadrangle Players continue in much the same way but the members reside all over Chicagoland.

The 2020-2021 Pandemic Season

The Covid-19 pandemic was raging around the world. The country was in lock down. Except for “Essential Workers,” everyone was directed by their state governments to stay home, avoid contact with others unless absolutely necessary, and to wear a mask and maintain “social distancing” of a minimum of six feet whenever they had to go out. Like many organizations, The Quadrangle Players modified its meeting structure from “a black-tie play and dinner in someone’s lovely home” to “participating in a stimulating online discussion of the play from home” using the popular Zoom videoconferencing platform. The play was produced by our member-actors, editing their individually videotaped performances into a finished video, which was posted on YouTube. Our members enjoyed the opportunity to see everybody, socialize, catch up, and have fun. The dress code varied from pajamas to black-tie.