A simple Excel spreadsheet was the inspiring kernel for Gus Sponberg’s latest project, the Chicago Theater History Project web site (chicagotheaterhistoryproject.org). He had used Excel to set up several theater lists with theaters and founders—those he found in a new book, A Theater of our Own, and in his own research. When he saw the lack of overlap in the lists, he pondered how to bring scholars and professional theater people together to build a comprehensive history. Though more familiar with print than technology, Sponberg, theater scholar in the English department, chose a web site over a book for its ability to draw together many resources and be dynamic as new information surfaced.

The Chicago Theater History Project is a place “professionals can meet in a virtual space,” Sponberg says. It's also ideal for the kind of theater history—more antiquarian than theory—that Sponberg feels is essential and often missing. "I want to show who were the founders and the teachers of the founders,” he said. A web site easily displays connections through databases, maps, search features, and so forth. The alphabetic database matches theaters with their founders and others associated with the founders. As the site grows, unusual connections will become evident, like associations that tie the birth of Second City to Hull House, for example. Of course, a web site allows links to Chicago theater scene’s PerformInk, reviews, and other theater sites.

Currently there are 250 theaters in two zip codes in Chicago, a remarkable concentration according to Sponberg and a fact that technology has helped him display through maps. To learn about mapping, he attended a web-based mapping workshop sponsored by Nitely (National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education) at DePauw and worked with the geography department here. Using www.batchgeocode.com , Sponberg created maps where clicking on a placemark pops up theater information. Animating the maps is a next step to show more clearly the progression of foundings, associates, and accompanying data—“Anything to make the detail come to life,” notes Sponberg, who doesn’t quail at learning more about mapping software.

“Theater people are on the move all the time and are averse to writing at length,” he says, but he believes they may be willing to contribute to a web site. He’s thinking a wiki would be a good addition as another means to encourage contributions from academic and professional circles. As a result of the site, students of theater will be able to answer a question Sponberg often ponders: “How can we account for the appearance of 250 theaters since 1968 in the space of single generation?”

Sponberg acknowledges the help of many for the site’s technology, particularly Heather Peters and Rachel Rivera of Valpo’s IT. He also offers another IT challenge—technology that will transcribe into text interviews on CD of London theater directors. A result of contacts on a London stay, these interviews will make another interesting project for Sponberg, as soon as he finds the technology.