There’s an old joke about a sailor stationed in the south Pacific who sees a beautiful and rare fish. It costs thousands of dollars but only measures a few inches. He buys it and ships it to his elderly mother so that she can admire it.Upon returning home and not seeing the fish displayed in a tank, he asks his mother: “How did you like that fish I sent you?” She replies: “Small, but delicious.”Which brings us to the subject of today’s column.The city of Chicago and its suburbs has a long history of theaters that started …