First Introductions: The Lincoln Park Theater

"It is a dream come true for Chicago artists," said Stearns."The Lincoln Park Theater answers the prayers of many local artists who need a theatrical home to call their own." Alderman Scott Waguespack of the 32nd Ward said,"The Porchlight Music Theatre will not only preserve the architectural history of the 32nd Ward, but will also offer an exceptional setting for theatrical performance. I have no doubt that our entire community will benefit from this state-of-the-art theatre."
 
The New Performance Space
The Lincoln Park Theater will feature a 299-seat auditorium, including a main floor and a balcony. The space, configured as a traditional proscenium arrangement, includes an orchestra pit, a fly loft to move scenery, and an oversized stage footprint. At The Lincoln Park Theater the audience/actor relationship will be incredibly intimate, as there will only be 10 rows of audience seating.
 
Acclaimed architect John Morris is designing the venue to be a 'jewel box' of a theater. "The beautiful exterior of the building will guide our design of the interior space," said Morris. "The finishes will distinguish The Lincoln Park Theater as a first-class venue for an intimate theatre experience."
 
The Lincoln Park Theater will be a modern performance center, fully accessible to all people. The acoustics and sound support system will be state-of-the-art, placing it among the premiere venues to experience music and vocal performance in Chicago. To support the main stage programming, there will be a rehearsal space which will double as an art gallery, showcasing the work of local artists. Additionally, there will be administrative space for the resident companies in the lower level of the theatre. A parking lot will adjoin the property.
 
Redeveloping a Landmark Building
The Lincoln Park Theater is a redevelopment of the historic Fullerton State Bank Building at 1425 W. Fullerton (at Janssen), which was completed in 1923 by the architectural firm of K.M. Vitzthum & Co. The Classical Revival-style building features two-story-tall window arcades, clad in terra-cotta and highly ornamented with griffins and garlands. The façade was recently designated as landmark architecture by the city of Chicago. Over the years the building has housed offices and an antique shop, and developers once considered it for conversion into residential units. Its rebirth as The Lincoln Park Theater will bring new life to this forgotten architectural gem. 
 
Coincidently, the architect of the Fullerton State Bank Building built an identical bank in Union Square, New York. This "sister building" (identical in construction in every way) was redeveloped into The Daryl Roth Theatre, home of the long running performance piece, De La Guarda.
 
A Visionary Business Plan
The Lincoln Park Theater is a non-profit entity. It is financed by a group of individual donors who recognize the value of creating permanent, sustainable performance centers within their local communities. The redevelopment of the space will cost an estimated $4 million dollars.
 
In addition to the award-winning Porchlight Music Theatre, the new space will be a home to Chicago artists. Several theatre companies are in conversation about becoming anchor tenants of The Lincoln Park Theater. Tenants are selected on the basis of their achievements, governance, fiscal stability as well as complimentary aesthetic. Eventually, audiences will be invited to subscribe to a variety of work offered by the different companies housed at The Lincoln Park Theater. The resident companies will be announced at a later date.
 
First Resident Company - Porchlight Music Theatre
Porchlight Music Theatre is Chicago's music theatre leader; producing award-winning interpretations of classic musicals and cutting-edge new works on intimate stages. Porchlight earned the most Jeff awards of any Chicago music theater and the most After Dark Awards of any Chicago theater in 2007. An Equity theater since 2004, the company has already received a total of 24 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations resulting in 10 Jeff Awards.
 
"Our company has reached a moment in its history where growth is imperative. This move, into a facility with State of the art acoustics and technical design, will enable us to grow the company in a way that was not possible without a contemporary, sophisticated setting" says Walter Stearns, Artistic Director of Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago.
 
For more information on The Lincoln Park Theater, call 773-250-7525 or visit www.LincolnParkTheater.org.

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