A center for the community

If you had a chance to build a new home for creativity,
entertainment, and community hijinks, what would it contain?

Theater Wit has been thinking about that question since its beginning, knowing its future depended on not only answering it, but making it happen. Because of your support over the past few years, we have the possibility of that future and you have a new home to experience the best of Chicago storefront theater. In the first year alone, 19 incredible multi-disciplinary arts organizations are telling their stories for youth and adults in our three spaces. Since we officially opened Theater Wit on September 1st, the building has been hopping, with up to eight performances a day happening in all three spaces. I spent last Saturday here and it was a positive joy to see the building so active: four theaters held classes, auditions, one technical rehearsal, five performances, and one birthday party over a period of 14 hours. The staff was wiped out but really excited; you can really feel the theatre becoming a center for the community.

“Theater Wit is GORGEOUS. More importantly, it is functional in a way
that no other Off Loop theater in town is.” Don Hall, blogger and Artistic Director

The companies producing in our space depend on Theater Wit to provide exceptional amenities for their valued audiences and unique opportunities for reaching new audiences and working with the community. We cannot do this and continue to produce five-star theater without your help in offsetting certain costs associated with being in the majors.

“Theater Wit is...a major player in town.” Chicago Tribune

Theater Wit has the maximum amount of fun possible with every opportunity and dollar within its reach, which has gained our company considerable status in a very short time. Already this year, we have:

• hit home runs with a highly recommended Chicago premiere of Itamar Moses's The Four of Us
• welcomed over 8,000 audience members to our theatrical multi-plex
• established a partnership with a local youth theater, university, and community group whose programs are made possible by the home Theater Wit is providing them
• designed a new software program to save theaters and patrons across the county hard-earned money on their entertainment
• launched an annual conference for the Chicago arts community to explore how to improve its service
• begun an innovative residency program that is gaining the attention of other leaders and innovators around the country
• heck, we even hosted a wedding

When I came up with the idea for the building, it was a vision of the sort of theater space I love, where dozens of artists intermingle with audience and each other, building new friendships and seeding new ideas. Where children's classes, political plays, comedies, dramas, community fundraisers, weddings, conferences, churches and birthday parties are all thrown together into the mix to create a sort of uniquely Chicagoan chaos stew. It really is a thrilling place to work every day. I and the staff ore so grateful for this opportunity to give something back to the city that we live in.

Theater Wit has quickly become an essential leader in the Chicago arts landscape. Now, I must ask you to continue helping us build our organization.

“Theater Wit is the very real thing.” Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright Will Eno

Theater Wit would not be where it is today if we had not inspired people like you and Will Eno to believe in our vision. We promise to continue to entertain and build , but we cannot do it without your partnership. If you are able to donate $15, $50, $100, or more, we pledge to offer you consistently excellent work, new opportunities for involvement and exploration, and a home for Chicago’s unique brand of theater.

We're in the middle of auditions for Melissa James Gibson's beautiful new play, This, which I am really excited to show you, particularly if the last day of auditions is as amazing as the first two have been. This really is a town of extraordinary performers and artists, and I'm really looking forward to working with them this February for our March 1st opening.

2010 was an astonishing year. 2011 is going to be amazing.

Please consider making a donation today by calling us at 773-975-8150 or going online, filling out a quick form and we'll call you :)

Happy Hunnukwanzmas,

Jeremy