Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

City Cracks Down on Storefront Theater
Analysis
by Rick Reed
2003-12-10

This article shared 5941 times since Wed Dec 10, 2003
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email


The intermission of the Artistic Home's wonderful production of The Miss Firecracker Contest (now running in their space at 1420 W. Irving Park) involved something unique. As I stepped out into the company's tiny lobby to stretch my legs, I passed several Chicago police officers, badges displayed, entering the theater. Were these just starstruck cops? Did they think Miss Firecracker was bearing more than clever barbs? I didn't know. As I returned to finish viewing the play so that I could write my review for Windy City Times, I quickly forgot about the rather odd appearance of the Chicago police at intermission.

At least until Dec. 2, when I discovered the police were visiting the theater because of a Chicago Department of Revenue crackdown on venues with the required Public Place of Amusement (PPA) licensing. Not only was the Artistic Home affected, but also impacted were the WNEP Theatre on Halsted (which decided to close its home for good), the Playground Improv Theatre (which makes a serious dent in this art form in Chicago), Profiles Theatre, and the Timeline Theatre (who closed their critically acclaimed and popular production of The Lion in Winter early).

Although the PPA licensing requirement (which requires a license from the city for venues offering live entertainment for an admission fee) has been around for a long time, PPA enforcement is a new, and sudden, development. City Revenue Director Bea Reyna-Hickey said, 'Like any other business, theaters cannot operate unless they have the necessary license. We're charged with enforcing the municipal code for the safety and welfare of the public.' What prompted the city's newfound concern for the 'safety and welfare of the public' remains unclear.

John Mossman, a principal at the Artistic Home, is baffled by the crackdown. 'This is not business as usual,' Mossman said. 'It seems to be a crackdown. It's going to be devastating to small theater. Storefront theaters have made Chicago an inspiring place for small theater.'

The red tape, bureaucracy, and costs involved with licensing and even defending themselves could have devastating consequences for Chicago's vibrant small theater scene, which relies more on pluck, imagination, and love of theater than it does on budget concerns. Many of these venues produce their work barely breaking even, or at a loss, just so they can do what they love and bring quality work to Chicago audiences. Actors and creative teams often work for free in storefront venues.

Mossman, for example, returned to Chicago after a five-year stint in Los Angeles because of his belief that Chicago offered a welcome home for people who wanted to create good theater and could do so, armed with little more than desire. The recent crackdown, for Mossman and his associates at the Artistic Home, has been 'very disheartening and disillusioning.'

The crackdown also makes it look as though many of these small venues have been trying to dodge licensing compliance, when many of them—the Artistic Home included—are well into the process. Mossman said that the Artistic Home has 'spent nearly $5,000 in legal fees on it already this year.'

Chicago has a rich history of fostering the creative development of small theater. One has to wonder if such crackdowns were taking place 25 years ago, when a small company was producing astonishing work in a church basement and later on, at the Jane Addams Center on Broadway, might have fared. Would we have the international theatrical force that's known as Steppenwolf today?

The city of Chicago certainly has a right to demand proper licensing from businesses. And theater companies who charge admission are businesses. The sudden crackdown doesn't feel right, however. And one wonders who wins when this kind of bureaucratic maneuvering forces small theaters to go dark, or try to continue on, surviving on donations in lieu of admission fees (as the Artistic Home is currently doing). Chicago and storefront theater have been synonymous terms for many years. Wouldn't it make more sense for the city to be encouraging this rich tradition—of which the city can justifiably be proud—rather than throwing up road blocks to its development? Filling city coffers with licensing fees and fines might be good for Chicago in the short run, but if red tape curtails the growth of small, independent theater in this town, the loss is immeasurable.

Is there anything you can do to help ensure the future of Chicago storefront theater? Yes. You can contact your alderman or get in touch with Mayor Daley and cc Bea Reyna-Hickey, Director of the City Department of Revenue, and express your opinion about the recent crackdown. Letters can be faxed to: (312) 362-9708. Or you can e-mail letters of support to the Artistic Home at artistichome@sbcglobal.net . They'll see that your voice makes it to City Hall.

The League of Chicago Theaters is in talks with the Mayor's office to resolve the issue. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the League has been asking the city to streamline its licensing procedures for years, so that it's less difficult for small theaters to meet requirements.

If you want to continue the Chicago tradition of supporting the growth of small theater, now is the time to speak up.


This article shared 5941 times since Wed Dec 10, 2003
facebook twitter google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

City Lit Executive Artistic Director Brian Pastor talks theater, comics, queerness 2024-03-26
- City Lit Theater has announced its programming for the 2024-25 season—which will be the company's 44th. It will also be the first season to be programmed under the leadership of Brian Pastor (they/them), who will assume ...


Gay News

The Jeff Awards announces the 50th anniversary awards for non-equity theater 2024-03-26
--From a press release - A complete list of recipients can also be found online in the Non-Equity and News and Events sections at www.jeffawards.org. (March 25, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21
- Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

Center on Halsted hosts 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show 2024-03-03
- On the evening of Feb. 29, Center on Halsted held its 6th Annual Intergenerational Talent Show in front of a packed audience at the Hoover-Leppen Theater. The event brought together participants of the Center's youth and senior ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

Theater Review: Billy Elliot, The Musical 2024-02-19
- Book and Lyrics: Lee Hall; Music: Elton John. At: Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora Tickets: 630-896-6666 or Paramountaurora.com; $28-$79. Runs through March 24 Billy Elliot: The Musical may nearly be two decades old, but ...


Gay News

'West Side Story' gets a sex-positive spin with new burlesque show 2024-02-19
- In partial observance of National Condom Day, which was Feb. 14, Los Angeles-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) presented A West Side Story Burlesque at the Harris Theater for two hour-long performances on Feb. 17. The show, ...


Gay News

Second Glance Productions hosts LGBTQupid Soiree 2024-02-16
- In celebration of Valentine's Day, Chicago based film and media production company Second Glance hosted The LBGTQupid Soiree. The event, which was focused on spinning attitudes on this particular day, was presented at The iO ...


Gay News

Carisa Hendrix mesmerizes as Lucy Darling in Teatro ZinZanni 2024-02-12
- Since 2019, Teatro ZinZanni has gathered together amazing performers from all over the world to create an experience in Chicago under the Spiegeltent in the Cambria Hotel building, 32 W. Randolph St. Over the years, ticket ...


Gay News

THEATER Dot-Marie Jones talks Goodman production, 'Glee,' 'Bros' 2024-02-12
- Running through Feb. 18 at the the Goodman Theatre, the production Highway Patrol works with a script conceived entirely from Emmy-winning actor Dana Delany's (TV's China Beach) digital archive of hundreds of tweets and direct messages ...


Gay News

Dr. Lady J explains how opera can be a drag 2024-02-10
- On Feb. 8, Center on Halsted, in partnership with Lyric Opera of Chicago, presented a lecture by historian, drag activist, podcaster and curator Dr. Lady J. The event, titled "Castrated Superstars, Cross Dressed Divas, and Queer ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS






Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.