biography

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 and served three terms as the Academy Chair. 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.
He is currently working on Ed Asner: A Composite Portrait.
photos: Sarah Elizabeth Larson








Val Gray Ward, Mark Larson photo: Jennifer Girard



Val Gray Ward, Mark Larson photo: Jennifer Girard


Pemon Rami, Mark Larson

Guy Van Swearingin, Shira Piven, Mark Larson, Michael Shannon

The Arts Club of Chicago

Tracy Letts, Mark Larson