The Side Project

Not too long ago, Adam Webster, the founder and Artistic Director of The Side Project Theatre in Roger's Park, realized that despite the ironic name of his theater company, it had taken over his entire life.  After nearly nine years of producing, directing, stage managing, prop gathering, and the million other tasks that come along with running a theater company, it was clear that this wasn't going the way he'd thought it would.  He remembers looking at a season announcement a few years back and seeing the eight plays listed out consecutively, "I just remember thinking, that's not a season, that's a to-do list. And a big one."

The original plan was to take a page from the hippest multi-taskers in the world, rockstars.  As Webster explains, when Rockstars form additional bands they always call them "side projects." Webster wanted to allow Chicago's theatre-makers the same privelege: a chance to explore sides of themselves that they weren't getting to otherwise.  Additionally, like a musical "side project" offers the opportunity for Supergroups like the Traveling Wilburys, The Side Project hoped to bring together complimentary talents from across Chicago for a chance to collaborate.  This past season, after bringing in some additional infrastructural help in the likes of managing director Dan Granata and tech guru Nick Keenan, the Side Project returned to its initial goals.  This means Webster has more chances to meet the people he wants to bring together and, after successes like the Jeff Recommended People We Know, the company is happier and healthier than ever. 

It is interesting how The Side Project sees its mission as serving the theatre makers of Chicago in addition to the theatre-going audience.  Webster says he likes to think of The Side Project as a kind of "hub" for growing the collaborative and exploratory work that they seek to produce.  A facet of this service to the community is seen in The Side Project's preference from new works and works by local writers.  "It's absolutely in connection to the mission of fostering new voices or pairing up certain voices [for the first time] to make something new," says Webster. "I think we have so many good plays in our own backyard that it would be weird to do plays that you could see everywhere else.  There's also just the thrill of discoveries and wanting to share that."

Webster remembers fondly one such discovery, Mark Young's New Orleans, produced by The Side Project in the late fall of 2006, "I remember exactly where I was when I read it," Webster enthuses. "Where I was, how I felt... I was laughing out loud and it was just two guys sitting at a bar talking about art and life."  Which coincidentally, is how most rock bands get started too.

Learn more about The Side Project by checking out their website or become a fan on Facebook.

Benno Nelson

You can read more of Theatre In Chicago contributor Benno Nelson's writing at The@er (http://the-at-er.blogspot.com)

Full Storefrontal

Read the other articles in Benno Nelson's "Full Storefrontal" series that focuses on small theatre companies around Chicago on the Full Storefrontal page.