ANDERSONVILLE — After renting space in Lakeview for over a decade, the TimeLine Theatre is excited to finally have a place to call home in thriving Andersonville, the theater's artistic director PJ Powers said Tuesday.
Monday night, Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th) announced that Svigos Development was the highest bidder for the repurposing Lyman Trumbull Elementary School building and they'd be partnering with the theater company, which will occupy the first floor.
"We really want to become involved in everything happening in Andersonville and hope to be an anchor in the community," Powers said.
While Svigos plans to build residential units in the former school building near the intersection of Ashland Avenue and Foster Avenue, Powers said the theater company's plans include: two performance bases (one with seating for 200 and another with seating for 100); rehearsal space; offices and attention-grabbing lobby with "immersive exhibits"; and art installations coinciding with their productions.
"Our ultimate hope and plan is that the TimeLine Theatre lobby can be a gathering space people really want to come into and feel at home [at]," Powers said.
A lobby display for TimeLine's premiere of John Conroy's My Kind of Town, a historical timeline of the Chicago's police torture scandal from 2012. [Courtesy of TimeLine Theatre]
After spending 16 years renting at 615 W. Wellington Ave., the new space will bring all the productions together under one roof as opposed to splitting time at Stage 773, 1225 W. Belmont Ave., he said.
According to their website: "the TimeLine Theatre Company presents stories inspired by history that connect with today's social and political issues. Our collaborative artistic team produces provocative theatre and educational programs that engage, entertain and enlighten."
So far, TimeLine has been feeling the love and garnering tons of support from the businesses in the area, Powers said. And those businesses are thrilled, too, according to the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.
"We're excited about it. We're excited to have the ability to attract a theater of that caliber. In a period of growth, it's really appealing. I think it will [benefit] our members in our business district," said Nick Wolff, Director of Economic Development and Business Services for the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce.
The Lyman Trumbull Elementary School building is considered an architectural gem in Andersonville and had garnered a lot of attention from potential buyers and developers. Wolff was happy new tenants "will preserve the architectural beauty of the building."
It was designed by Prairie School architect Dwight Perkins, an accomplished designer of school buildings including Graeme Stewart Elementary School in Uptown, and the man behind Lincoln Park Zoo's award-winning lion house. Perkins served as the Board of Education's chief architect more than a century ago. CPS closed it, along with 49 other city schools that officials deemed underutilized.
A survey from O'Connor from earlier this year showed about 57 percent of respondents "found a residential use coupled with an established theater group acceptable." In total 310 people participated in the survey, according to their website.
The theater is currently showing The Price, a play "about the legacy of the past and the price of life’s choices" at their Lakeview home. The theater was founded in 1997 and has received 52 Jeff Awards, including 11 awards for Outstanding Production.
Svigos plans to transform the property into residential units and will partner with TimeLine Theatre Company, which will be housed on the first floor, O'Connor said.
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