When Charles Newell transitions out of his role as Court Theatre’s artistic director in July, the classics-focused theatre-in-residence at the University of Chicago will become the latest of Chicago’s major theatres to undergo a leadership change in recent years—a list that includes Steppenwolf, Goodman, Writers, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Since he took the reins from founding artistic director, Nicholas Rudall, in 1994, Newell’s tenure has been marked by an ongoing commitment to reimagining classic theare for contemporary audiences, an expanded repertoire that includes musicals and new works, stronger relationships with the Black community on Chicago’s South Side, and extensive collaborations with University of Chicago faculty.

Founded in 1955 as an amateur outdoor summer theatre at the university, Court became an Equity theatre in 1975 and incorporated as an independent nonprofit organization in 1983. In 2022, Court won the Tony Award for excellence in regional theatre, becoming the sixth Chicago company to receive this honor. Newell, who spent his early career learning the craft of directing classic texts at regional theatres around the United States, made his Court debut as a director in 1993 and was appointed artistic director the following year.

One of the most common questions Newell has fielded throughout his time at Court is: How do you define classic theatre? “And in that 30-year journey,” he says, “I would always have another way of answering that question.” The theatre’s current mission statement — developed with the co-leadership of Angel Ysaguirre, who has been executive director since 2018 — defines classic theatre as “texts from any culture, tradition, or era that resonate throughout time and speak to our present moment.”

Ysaguirre describes Newell as a “very text based” director who does a lot of research for his productions, seeking out effective ways to communicate the heart of classic plays to modern audiences. “Charlie really trusts audiences to be smart and emotionally sophisticated,” Ysaguirre adds. “And so, his approach, both as a director and as an artistic director, is to try to offer audiences something really meaningful in the work itself, rather than trying to lure them with something shiny.”

From the ancient Greeks, Shakespeare, and Molière, to Miller and Albee, Newell has directed both well-trod and rarely produced works from the European and American canons, while expanding Court’s interpretation of classic theatre to include a diverse range of playwrights and artists. Ron OJ Parson, who joined the theatre as resident artist nearly two decades ago, has played an important role in these efforts. His directorial credits at Court include nearly all of August Wilson’s 10-play Century Cycle and works by Pearl Cleage.

Kelvin Roston Jr., an actor who moved from St. Louis to Chicago in 2008, has observed this evolution of Court’s programming firsthand. He made his Court debut in Parson’s rendition of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and has starred in several productions directed by Newell, including Porgy and Bess, Oedipus Rex, and The Gospel at Colonus. “Moving to a bigger city, you wonder if you’re going to be embraced. Court embraced me,” says Roston. “I love that Court is about the classics, and I’ve watched Court grow to include more plays into the heading of classics. Court Theatre being on the South Side and giving this community a place to come and experience some elevated theatre, that’s super important to me.”

Under Newell’s leadership, Court has premiered adaptations of classic novels, such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man, Richard Wright’s Native Son, and Saul Bellow’s The Adventures of Augie March. “Some of the early commissions that we did, or produced with others, were because we realized we had not only an opportunity, but an obligation to bring those stories forward in a theatrical expression,” shares Newell.

Another hallmark of Newell’s tenure is a deepened relationship with the University of Chicago through interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty, partnerships, Newell asserts, that have brought “a whole other level of dramaturgical and historical” richness to the theatre’s productions. Especially important to the theatre’s identity under Newell’s aegis is its engagement with community leaders on the South Side through the Civic Actor Studio, founded in 2019 by Newell, Joanie Friedman, Harry Davis, and Gabrielle Randle-Bent. The program offers four-day retreats for nonprofit leaders in education, social service, philanthropy, and the arts. Participants engage in theatre-based techniques and discussions to explore their personal goals and approaches to leadership. Newell hopes to continue his involvement with the Civic Actor Studio as he moves on. “It’s an expression of important core values for me, personally.”

In the meantime, there is plenty of work ahead for Newell before he goes. Following his recent production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which was extended by popular demand, he will direct the world premiere of Berlin in spring of 2025 — Mickle Maher’s adaptation of Jason Lutes’s graphic novel, set in Weimar Germany. Newell also will stay on as senior artistic consultant through June 2025. After that, he plans not to retire, but to pursue new artistic and civic engagement opportunities on a more freelance basis. 

“Court Theatre has given so much to me and my family,” says Newell. “I’m super excited about my remaining time as artistic director and consultant, because I want Court to thrive in all the best possible ways.”