Zygmunt Dyrkacz
Chopin Theater
Chicago, IL USA
"We didn't know much about how to do it, but if you have a passion, you slowly find a way."
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Zygmunt's work combines: Acting & Theatre, Entrepreneurship, and Being Creative
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Day In The Life
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He originally came to the U.S. from Poland on a foreign exchange program, and expected to stay for one year.
2.
But instability in the communist Polish economy caused him to extend his stay, even though his study of killer bees had become irrelevant.
3.
Decided to switch his focus to business, and made a good amount of money in a short amount of time.
4.
While he'd become financially successful, his personal relationships suffered, and ultimately, his wife divorced him.
5.
He realized he'd become completely "fake," and he knew he needed a passion project to help him rediscover himself.
6.
When he saw a nearby theater was going to be demolished, he decided to buy it and renovate it.
7.
Since its reopening in 1999, it's put on over 1,400 events, including 110 of its own productions, and featuring actors like John Cusack.
8.
In February 2010, the Chicago Tribune rated Chopin Theatre as one of the best Chicago venues.
