American Blues Theater, a long-standing off-Loop company founded in 1985 and known for its loyal acting ensemble, finally has found itself a permanent new home on Chicago’s North Side.
American Blues Theater said Wednesday that it will purchase a 17,965 square-foot building at 5627 N. Lincoln Ave., an address that variously has housed a gas station, a Walgreens and (most recently) a Dollar General store, just north of the intersection of North Lincoln and West Bryn Mawr Avenues. The company is billing it as the theater’s “first” permanent home. American Blues split off in 2007 from the now-defunct company known as American Theater Company, which operated for years in residence in leased space at 1909 W. Byron St. American Blues has been itinerant ever since the split.
American Blues also said the total cost of the purchase and the renovation of the space as a theater building will be $6.5 million, with $2.9 million already raised from individual donors. A campaign is being mounted to raise the balance.
Plans call for two performance spaces, a 148-seat proscenium theater and a 40-seat flexible studio, along with administrative offices, technical spaces and support facilities. There is a small on-site parking lot. The new venue is to be designed in Chicago by John Morris of Morris Architects Planners with theater systems by Schuler Shook. Construction is slated to start this summer with a projected opening of November 2023, in time for the holiday season of shows.
“We understand all too well the limitations of being an itinerant company, said artistic director Gwendolyn Whiteside in a statement. “We’re also excited to create an affordable rental space for other theater companies on their respective journeys.”
Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.
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