In the fall of 2016, I received the opportunity to participate in the Chicago Semester. Through this program, I was able to participate in an internship at a theatre in Chicago and get credit hours from that instead of academic classes. I interned at Lifeline Theatre in Chicago\u27s northernmost neighborhood, Rogers Park. Most of what I did was box office work, but I also worked on financial reports, marketing, and a little bit of everything it takes to run a theatre. Of all the things I learned during the semester, the most important one was the need for accessible theatres. Erica Foster, the head of accessibility at Lifeline, gave me the initial spark that brought this thesis to life and all the tools I needed to begin my research. I got to learn about teach type of accessible performance Lifeline put on, as well as help put them together and sit in on them to experience it. I also got to sit in on workshops held by the Chicago Cultural Access Center (CCAC), where they talked about accessibility and the law, service animals, and creating DIY Open Captions. Chicago was a wonderful experience, not only because it is a great place to life and explore, but because I learned so much about working in the theatre and how to make a theatre accessible to everyone. I hope that this thesis can serve as a guide for theatres who want to take the next step into a more inclusive environment
