With federal arts policy changes affecting grant funding access, officials at The Drama Group have upped efforts to secure the future of the theater in Chicago Heights.
“It’s not putting us in danger of closing. We still have a great deal of money in our savings, but it’s us being proactive,” said MaryEllen Fawk, president of The Drama Group board. “It’s important for us just to keep looking at where we will be in five years.”
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 includes the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts, the federal agency awards grants to nonprofits, arts agencies and organizations in support of arts projects across the country.
“A lot of these grants are drying up. It’s politics at play obviously so we have to be proactive in how we’re going to keep these funds going that we enjoyed and benefited our organization and our audience,” said Fawk, of Chicago Heights.
The Drama Group has received grant support from Illinois Arts Council, which states on its website that resources to support the state agency are provided by the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the Illinois governor and the Illinois General Assembly.
“It impacts theaters all across the country. That’s why you’re seeing capital campaigns that are going on,” said Fawk, who primarily works behind the scenes on Drama Group shows.
The Drama Group, which has been operating for more than 90 years and received the 2015 Award of Excellence in Community Theatre from the Illinois Theatre Association, has a grants committee of Mary Lee Hoganson, of Homewood; Rose Crockett, of Chicago Heights; Ken Hawkley, of Homewood; and Crystal Phillips-Pierce.
“We did get a letter from a grant recently that Mary Lee applied for and we were denied,” Fawk said. “Their reasoning was cuts from the federal government so we want to look at increasing our donorship.”
Fawk, who estimated The Drama Group received about $10,000 in grants from various sources in 2023-24, said grant funding has helped defray costs of new sound equipment and improvements in lighting.
“They meet something we need,” Fawk said.
The Drama Group recently spent nearly $60,000 to replace a leaking roof on its building, which was built in 1972.
“We’ve maintained a savings account so we paid for it initially out of that. Then, as other monies are coming in from sales of tickets and things of that nature and sometimes donations and grants, that also goes to defray costs,” Fawk said. “It’s our cushion to keep us managing.”
The Drama Group’s 94th season will close with Roald Dahl’s “Matilda the Musical” from Aug. 8 to 17. In July it staged “The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition” for the Kids Camp and “Mean Girls High School Version” for the Teen Theatre Intensive production.
“We’re coming up on our 100th anniversary,” said Fawk, who has been involved with The Drama Group since auditioning for “The Laramie Project” during the 2008-09 season. “We want to be sure that we’re able to celebrate 100 years of giving back to our community with the arts.”
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The Drama Group began in 1931 and first staged “Telegrams,” a comedy by Mabel Waters, who became president of the community theater, which was sponsored then by the Arts and Literature Department of the Chicago Heights Women’s Club.
“They were instrumental in starting one of the earliest community theaters around,” Fawk said. “They used to hold their rehearsals in the old Chicago Heights morgue.”
The Drama Group bought two lots in 1956-57 for its permanent home, which now includes what the board decided in 2016 to rename the Milord Studio Theatre in honor of Homewood couple Paul Milord Sr. and Maureen Milord, who donated the building.
Through its community outreach program, The Drama Group partners with organizations to collect donations. Donation boxes will be available during the run of “Matilda” to collect school supplies for Chicago Heights School District 170.
“In terms of our future show planning and just budgetary, we want to be careful. Hence, the campaign to raise money and maybe look to sponsors in the same way that many other theaters, both Equity and non-Equity, are doing,” Fawk said.
The Drama Group offers three- to six-show packages ranging from $70 to $100 for its 95th season, which includes “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” from Oct. 3 to 12 and “A Christmas Story: The Musical” from Dec. 5 to 14.
The season continues in 2026 with “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf” from Feb. 13 to 22, “Cabaret” from April 10 to 19, “Clyde’s” from June 5 to 14 and “The Prom” from Aug. 7 to 16.
“Becoming a member of the group allows you to get involved,” said Fawk, who also has served as The Drama Group board’s vice president and secretary. “We’re looking for a lot of folks to get involved from performing to backstage work, box office, getting on a committee.”
Fawk, who said community support for local theater and particularly non-Equity houses has dipped recently, is working with Hoganson, Phillips-Pierce and Cordaro Johnson on a committee to address this.
“We want to target our general membership lists of folks and also people who have come to see shows and expressed interest in getting information from us on a regular basis,” Fawk said. “We do emails. We have our Facebook page and Instagram so we use it all.”
Outreach will include the inaugural Brunch & Build, a networking mixer for Black and brown directors, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23; promoting the Season Kick-off Picnic, which is open to audience members, from 4 to 10 p.m. Sept. 13; and expanding events such as trivia night.
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.