American Theater Company (ATC) was founded in July 1985 as American Blues Theatre, a company dedicated to exploring, nurturing, and developing theater that addressed and affected the real working-class people of Chicago. It is an ensemble of artists committed to producing new and classic American stories that ask the question: "What does it mean to be an American?" We provide a truly intimate home for the community to experience meaningful stories. We foster a nurturing environment for artists to take risks and create essential work.