Goodman Theatre unveils The Alice Center for Education

Call it an education wonderland, if you will.

The Goodman Theatre today announced the opening of The Alice Rapoport Center for Education and Engagement, a new, 10,000 square-foot addition featuring classroom spaces and a learning lab dedicated to education and engagement initiatives programming.

Known as The Alice and designed by Wheeler Kearns Architects, the facility is named for the late Alice B. Rapoport, a Goodman trustee and chair of the company’s Education and Community Engagement Committee, who championed the Goodman’s community outreach programs. More than 8,000 students and adults currently benefit from programming, which flourished under the watch of artistic director of Robert Falls. The new space is located above Petterino’s restaurant (adjacent to the theater at 170 N. Dearborn) that once housed offices. It was designed

First up for the new space are two collaborations:

— Pulitzer Prize finalist and Obie Award-winning playwright/performer/poet Dael Orlandersmith (“Yellowman”), becomes a Goodman Artistic Associate/Alice Artist in Residence. Her most recent play, “Lady in Denmark” was featured in Goodman’s 2015 New Stages festival.

— Michael Rohd and the Center for Performance and Civic Practice (CPCP) will begin a three-year residency at the Alice this summer. CPCP supports artists and communities working together “to build civic health, equity and capacity.” Through this residency, the Goodman aims to expand its own capacity for community outreach.

“This is an incredibly proud, game-changing moment for all of us at the Goodman Theatre,” said Falls in the official announcement. “Our work in education and engagement has always begun with the art itself — as practiced on our stages and as created by hundreds of distinguished artists each season. With the Alice, we are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Dael and Michael — two artists whose belief in the transformative power of the theater and the processes used to create it will help us reach many more members of our Chicago community, and to communities nationwide.”

On May 19, the public is invited to check out the The Alice via free activities including family playmaking, a stage combat workshop, and meet-the-artist events with veteran actors Mike Nussbaum and Mary Beth Fisher. May 19 is “Lorraine Hansberry Day,” with events tied to the Goodman’s current mainstage production of her play, “The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window.” On May 20, a youth spoken-word event/open mic night takes place before the evening’s performance. On May 21, an open house begins at 9 a.m. with all-age activities planned. For complete information, visit goodmantheatre.org