Mark Larson

Mark Larson is the author of Ensemble: An Oral History of Chicago Theater, for which he conducted over 300 interviews with Chicago theater artists, past and present. He is a retired educator with over 30 years of experience including high school English, and leadership positions at the Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, and National Louis University. In 1995, he received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership. Larson’s new book, Working in the 21st Century: An Oral History of American Work in a Time of Social and Economic Transformation was released in 2024 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Studs Terkel’s Working. Esquire magazine named it one of the best non-fiction books of 2024. He is currently working Something That is True composed of his 30 interviews with iconic Broadway composer, John Kander (Cabaret, Chicago, and many more).