HMS Media

01/26/2026

Thanks for the shout-out, Drury Lane. What an honor to help present this work to the world.

09/23/2025

HMS deeply mourns the passing of the extraordinary Bruce Sagan, whose mentorship, insight, and friendship we will always cherish. His contributions to our city have shaped our lives and fueled our careers. We'll always miss him and forever celebrate him.

Bruce Sagan, the longtime publisher of the Hyde Park Herald and a pillar of Chicago news for more than half a century, is a National Medal of Arts awardee.

06/11/2025

25 years ago, HMS Media was invited into a room full of legends. Not just stars, but collaborators—people who believed in telling stories together.

That room was Steppenwolf Theatre. The project became our Emmy Award-winning documentary 25 YEARS ON THE EDGE. And the experience changed everything for HMS.

As Steppenwolf continues to make history—most recently with PURPOSE winning the Tony Award for Best Play—HMS co-founder Scott Silberstein reflects on the making of 25 YEARS, what we learned along the way, and the difference WTTW - Chicago PBS and public television made in bringing this story to the world.

A Love Letter to Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Public Television, and Artistic Inevitability

06/09/2025

Congratulations to our longtime collaborators at Steppenwolf Theatre Company on winning the Tony Award for Best Play with PURPOSE!

For over 30 years, HMS Media has had the privilege of capturing Steppenwolf’s bold, uncompromising work on both Chicago stages and Broadway.

From producing the Emmy-winning 25 YEARS ON THE EDGE to filming PURPOSE in both Chicago and New York, we've seen firsthand the artistry, vision, and humanity that define this ensemble.

We’re proud to share a montage we created for the Broadway run, honoring a play with purpose and the theater that brought it to life.

05/23/2025

Back in 1994, we followed our instincts—and three musicians whose voices moved us—and ended up creating one of the most meaningful projects of our early career.

Our Emmy-nominated documentary "Just Passing Through" wasn’t flashy. But it was intimate, emotional, and real. Julia Fordham, Shawn Colvin, and October Project gave us a glimpse behind the curtain. What we saw was magic. And when WTTW - Chicago PBS aired it, a whole lot of people saw and heard that magic for themselves.

Read our new reflection on the music, the artists, and the documentary that helped shape our path.

A look back at the Emmy-nominated music documentary that helped chart our creative future—and honored the space public television gives to subtle, soulful voices

05/06/2025

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. This is a crisis for the arts and culture sector and indeed for the country. Please read and share this post from Arts Alliance Illinois, and then PLEASE ACT by following the links and instructions. (Whether you're from Illinois or not, this information and these links will serve you well!)

"Dear artists, creative workers, advocates, and supporters of the arts:

Last week, the Trump administration called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. Immediately following the announcement, organizations nationwide began receiving notice that their open and pending grants are being terminated or withdrawn.

This move follows the administration’s targeting of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) over the past month. This is a coordinated attack on the nation’s culture and creative infrastructure." (click through to continue reading)

Dear artists, creative workers, advocates, and supporters of the arts: Last week, the Trump administration called for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts. Immediately following the announcement, organizations nationwide began receiving notice that their open and pending grants are...

05/06/2025

We were so sorry to hear that Herbert Migdoll has passed. He was an artist, visionary, and longtime collaborator whose work with the Joffrey Ballet helped define the visual language of modern dance.

We were honored to work alongside him on several projects, and always came away having learned something.

05/06/2025

It’s with heavy hearts that we remember Christina Dunne, whose voice brought truth and tenderness to our very first documentary, "Why Am I Hiding."

Christina didn’t just lend her voice. She lent her heart. "Why Am I Hiding" told a serious story, and in a film about survivorship, Christina was a beacon of resilience and grace.

We'll always be grateful to have known her and worked with her.

05/06/2025

We are mourning the passing of Shirley Mordine, a singular force in the world of dance and a founding spirit in HMS Media’s story.

Mordine & Company was the second dance organization to hire us. It was an act of trust we’ve never forgotten. It also sparked dear friendships with Shirley, Michael McStraw and some of Chicago's most innovative and respected dancers, choreographers, composers, and designers.

We also felt that Shirley believed in movement as meaning, and in dance as dialogue. We saw her as visionary, fearless, and ever-curious. Her legacy lives in every artist she mentored, every work she shaped, and every frame she graced.

We mourn her loss and celebrate the gift she was to the City of Chicago and the art of dance.