Iroquois Theatre fire the "Chicago Tribune", one of the "Top Five Funniest Shows of 2011" by WBEZ Radio and one of the "Twelve Outstanding Ensembles of 2011" by "Time Out Chicago"'s Kris Vire. The Ruffians theater company has remounted the production during the Christmas holiday period each year since 2013, mostly with the original cast. Iroquois Theatre fire The Iroquois Theatre fire happened on December 30, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois. It was the deadliest theater fire and the deadliest single-building fire in United States history. At least 602 people died as a result of the fire, but not all the deaths were reported,
Shouting fire in a crowded theater in a crowded church causing a panic and stampede. In contrast, in the Brooklyn Theatre fire of 1876, the actors initially falsely claimed that the fire was part of the performance, in an attempt to avoid a panic. However, this delayed the evacuation and made the resulting panic far more severe. Shouting fire in a crowded theater "Shouting "fire" in a crowded theater" is a popular metaphor for speech or actions made for the principal purpose of creating unnecessary panic. The phrase is a paraphrasing of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s opinion in the United States Supreme Court case "Schenck v.