The Bayless Family Foundation has awarded more than $500,000 to four theaters across the city in its latest round of annual grants to the arts in Chicago.
This year’s Stepping Stone grants, given to companies at “critical moments in their growth,” were awarded to Definition Theatre and Timeline Theatre Company, which both plan to relocate in the near future. They each will receive $180,000 over the next three years.
Chicago Children’s Theatre in the West Loop received $100,000 and Remy Bumppo Theatre Company in Lake View got $50,000 in one-time payments through the foundation’s Signal Grant.
Along with other contributions, the $670,000 in grants to Chicago theaters and arts organizations this year is the latest of chef and Frontera Grill owner Rick Bayless’ foundation. It has committed more than $2 million to the industry since it formed in 2017.
“We are awed by the dedication, creativity and resilience of our city’s incredible theater companies,” Bayless said in a statement. “We couldn’t be happier to support these organizations at true ‘Stepping Stone’ moments, and we trust that our support will help these organizations thrive in the coming years.”
Definition Theatre’s allotment will help to pay for its lease and equipment at an interim performance space at 1160 E. 55th St. in Hyde Park before it moves to a new larger space at 6400 S. Cottage Grove Ave. in Woodlawn.
“This initiative represents a tangible step toward realizing our long-term vision of a vibrant, community-centric cultural institution in Woodlawn,” Definition Theatre Executive Director Neel McNeill told the Sun-Times. “By expanding our role as a catalyst for artistic and social transformation, we seek to promote artistic inclusivity and reduce barriers for other creatives wishing to serve the South Side.”
The theater had already been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the city’s Neighborhood Opportunity Fund to build the new theater and community center.
“By establishing a dedicated performance venue, Definition Theatre aims to create a cultural hub that caters to artists, patrons, students and community organizations,” McNeill said. “This project aligns with Definition Theatre’s mission of celebrating narratives within communities of color, expanding perspectives, and nurturing artistic and educational opportunities.”
Timeline Theatre Company will use the grant money to “modernize the administrative and financial procedures,” according to Bayless’ foundation. The company, after presenting more than 80 productions, including 10 world premieres, throughout its first 25 years at 615 W. Wellington Ave. in Lake View, plans to move within the next couple of years to 5035 N. Broadway in Uptown.
The Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, with a performance venue at 1229 W. Belmont Ave. and an office on Ravenswood Avenue in Lake View, will use its grant money to “support all of our artistic programs, including mainstage productions and our educational series, Studio Bumppo,” executive director Margaret McCloskey said.
“Studio Bumppo offers year-round classes for all levels of theatergoers … where they can learn about literary analysis, playwriting, behind-the-scenes work, audition processes and more,” McCloskey said.
She added that the theater industry is still recovering from the lingering effects of the pandemic shutting down operations and that grants “of this size are massively impactful.”
The $100,000 going to the Chicago Children’s Theatre will benefit its Residencies of Arts and Resilience program, or ROAR, which was developed in conjunction with the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Center for Childhood Resilience.
The program allows students an outlet to reflect on challenging situations, using child literature, theater and other arts as “trauma-informed activities and conversations that promote coping mechanisms, social-emotional expression, and resilience,” according to the Chicago Children’s Theatre. The grant also will allow the theater to add Spanish-language curriculum.
“This work is a vital piece of our company’s vision moving forward, and this gift will help us take the next steps and expand our reach, utilizing partnerships in piloting bilingual ROAR programs,” Chicago Children’s Theatre Founder and Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell said.
