Theater Wit lands $5,000 grant from G. & D. Donnelley Foundation
The off-Loop company, set to kick off its second season in its new three-theater venue at 1229 W. Belmont Avenue, announced today it has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Chicago-based Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation to support general operations.
"Theater Wit continues to redefine the live off-Loop theater experience - not only for our patrons, but for our resident and visiting companies as well," said Mercedes Rohlfs, Development and Communications Director at Theater Wit. "We are grateful that a key funder like the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation has recognized our commitment to innovation coupled with smart business practices through their generous financial support."This is the second gift to Theater Wit from the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation. Theater Wit also has received support recently from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur funding of the Performing Arts Venue Grant Program at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the James S. Kemper Foundation, the Alphawood Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development and The Saints."A thrilling addition to Chicago's roster of theaters" (Chicago Tribune) and "a terrific place to see a show" (New City), the new Theater Wit renovated then inaugurated its brand new, $1.3 million venue in the former home of the Bailiwick Arts Centre in June 2010. Since then, the company has continued exploring contemporary issues with wit and wisdom through its own acclaimed productions of new works and Chicago premieres, hosted many of Chicago's top off-Loop theater companies in its intimate, three-theater venue, launched an attention-getting new Netflix-like membership program (see any show, anytime, as many times as you like, for only $36 a month), and served as the host site for two all-community industry conferences, including earlier this month with the League of Chicago Theatres.
Theater Wit boasts three 99-seat performance spaces - the only theater in Chicago with such a configuration - making it a popular venue for Chicago's top off-Loop theater companies to present their work. In fact, all three spaces are booked through June 2012 with an incredibly eclectic slate of new plays and musicals by Chicago's most popular and accomplished off-Loop theater companies, ranging from Stage Left, New Millennium and BoHo to TimeLine, Griffin, Polarity and Porchlight Music Theatre.
Theater Wit's own productions for the 2011-2012 season include the return of Chicago's favorite alt-holiday comedy The Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris (November 25-December 31, 2011), the Chicago premiere of Jason Wells' apocalyptic drama The North Plan (January 23-March 31, 2012) and the Midwest debut of Kim Rosenstock's hot new dark comedy Tiger Be Still (April 24-May 27, 2012).
In addition to its new $36 see any show, anytime monthly Membership Program ($30 for students), Theater Wit also offers a Flex Pass to similarly encourage cross pollination between its own productions, and those presented by its resident and guest companies. A Theater Wit Flex Pass offers 10 admissions for $200 to anything presented in the building, a savings of up to 40%.
About the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelly Foundation
The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation's mission of land conservation and artistic vitality for communities in the Chicago region and the Lowcountry of South Carolina honors the values and legacy of the founders by focusing on two of the conditions crucial to vital human communities: a healthy natural environment and artistic expression.For more information about the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, visit gddf.org.
Videos