Founded in 1999 by two performing artists, Congo Square produces transformative theatre spawned from the African Diaspora as well as from other world cultures. The Company seeks to establish itself as an institution of multicultural theatre. Rooted in the principles of ensemble acting, the company aims for a unified effect achieved by all members of a cast working together on behalf of the play, rather than emphasizing individual performances. The company envisions a theatre that seeks to bridge and enrich cultural and artistic communities locally, nationally and globally. Congo Square also seeks to become one of the preeminent theatres on Chicagos cultural landscape. On October 22, 1999 Congo Square opened its first season with August Wilsons The Piano Lesson on the tenth anniversary of its Broadway run. The Piano Lesson was a critically acclaimed production, which led to an invitation to participate in the prestigious Theatre on the Lake summer repertory. Sponsored by the Chicago Park District, this is a nine-week season of Chicagos best plays. With a current ensemble of 13 members, Congo Square Theatre has produced 20 plays by African-American playwrights in its seven-year producing history. Congo Square has developed a Chicago and national reputation for its direction and production of August Wilson plays (e.g. Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Piano Lesson) and other shows include: Before It Hits Home, The Island, Ali, From the Mississippi Delta, The Playboy of the West Indies, A Soldier's Play, Wedding Band, Daughters of the Mock, Spunk, King of Coons, The House That Jack Built, Black Nativity, Layla's Dream, Seven Guitars and Deep Azure which included performances in Chicago and the New York Hip Hop Theatre Festival.. The company has also garnered three Jeff Awards for its 2004/2005 production of August Wilsons Seven Guitars and became the first African-American theatre company to do so. While Congo Square Theatre continues to establish a consistent management team, the company's artistic productions are of excellent quality and value to its audience and Chicago's arts community. As an itinerant company, Congo Square is maintaining its production of Black Nativity at the Goodman Theatre in downtown Chicago, and its other productions at the Chicago Center for Performing Arts in River North.

Congo Square Theatre is an African-American ensemble theatre company dedicated to producing works from the African Diaspora. Through superior artistic quality, Congo Square seeks to become an institution of multicultural theatre.

Today Congo Square Theatre Company produces three full-length productions each year in addition Congo Square offers the following programs; Ensemble in Action, our in-school residency workshop, and The August Wilson New Playwright Initiative Ensemble in Action Congo Square Theatre Company established its in-school residency program in 2004 and to date has provided intensive theatre courses to over 200 Chicago area high school students per year and over 600 students per year attend our student matinee series. Currently Congo Square partners with Hyde Park and Collins High Schools, teaching workshops in seven different classes. The Director of Education meets with each high school teacher before the program begins and creates specific lesson plans that are designed to meet the individual curriculum goals of the classroom teacher. All lesson plans meet the Illinois State and Federal Standards in theatre education. In addition all educators who participate in this program are required to attend two professional development workshops conducted by the Director of Education. In these workshops teachers are provided with tools and activities that support the workshop curriculum that can be used when the Congo Square teaching artist is not in the classroom. Congo Square teaching artists, work within the classroom for six weeks providing students with a comprehensive lesson based on the current production at Congo Square. A teaching artist will visit a class once a week for a total of six weeks per workshop and a total of 18 weeks per year. At the conclusion of each workshop students attend a performance of the production, which includes a talk-back session with the actors. Teaching Artists create a positive learning environment using as many techniques possible including; exhibiting a positive attitude towards students, activities, text and goals, asking questions to probe understanding, encourage creativity, and challenge assumptions and appropriately praise positive behavior, students ideas, and teamwork with specific mention of said behavior. August Wilson New Playwright Initiative In 2004, Congo Square established a New Play Initiative but has been renames in honor of the late August Wilson. The program was established to preserve the cannon of African American playwrights as well as to seek out and promote new works, thereby fueling the overall American cannon with innovative works from promising new artists. This program includes four stage readings during the summer and the commission of a new works which may include a full production in our regular season. The first production was Ensemble member Javon Johnsons new play The House that Jack Built, presented in May and June of 2004 at Chicagos Theatre Building, this production went on to win three Black Theatre Alliance awards for best set design, best actor, and best director. And a production of Deep Azure by Chadwick Boseman in 2005 and Stick Fly by Lidya Diamond in 2006. It is the goal of this program to aid in building and strengthening the community of artists.