Victory Gardens Theater

Chicago's historic Biograph Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue, may be hidden from view at the moment, but behind the scaffolds, Victory Gardens Theater has embarked on the most visible expansion project in its 32 year history - construction of a beautiful new, $11.3 million mainstage, dedicated to the enjoyment of live theater.
 
Victory Gardens, Chicago's number one presenter of new work, will open its new, 299-seat mainstage in September 2006, in time for the launch of Chicago's fall theater season.   The play selected to inaugurate Victory Gardens' new mainstage is the world premiere of Denmark a fact-based drama about a complex and controversial figure in African-American history, Denmark Vesey, by Victory Gardens Playwrights Ensemble member Charles Smith.
 
Designed by Daniel P. Coffey of Daniel P. Coffey and Associates, the award-winning firm responsible for the restorations of the Chicago, Palace and Oriental theaters, Victory Gardens at the Biograph promises to be an important new addition to Chicago's live theater scene, and a thriving new cultural attraction in the heart of Chicago's busy Lincoln Park neighborhood.
 
Inside the Biograph, general contractor Pepper Construction has completed interior demolition, excavated the under-stage trap, and is preparing to lay underground plumbing and electrical.  Sadly, no red dresses or empty vaults were discovered during the demolition phase.  However, behind a false wall, workers did uncover a 5' original plaster carving of a woman's torso anchoring a ceiling corner.
 
The next phase of construction includes forming and pouring concrete footings, walls and trap space, framing of interior walls and doors, drywalling and interior brick restoration.  Over the summer, the roof over the theater will be replaced, a stage will be fashioned inside the main floor auditorium, and the theater's façade and famous marquee will be restored.  By September, 299 comfortable new seats will be installed, new carpeting will be in place, and an inviting interior design will welcome patrons to Chicago's newest venue for live theater.
 
According to Victory Gardens Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, "All of this progress has kept two principles in mind:  expanding the theater's ability to meet the desires of our playwrights, and enhancing the theater's ability to welcome and honor our patrons both old and new. Our new theater will have wingspace, added stage height and traps that will hugely expand the possibilities for the size and scope of plays we typically present.  And our new space will also feature amenities designed for access and comfort across a wide spectrum of needs."

The stage itself is a semi-thrust with a modified proscenium, 32' wide, 19' high, with a maximum depth of 32'.   A resilient stage floor will ensure comfort for the actors, and allow for more movement.  The increased size of the VGT stage also makes it more compatible for co-productions and transfers.  Backstage are two full dressing rooms, a green room, a mechanical rigging system for lights, and 16' of wing space on each side. In addition to wing space, which allows set pieces to be "slipped" onstage and off again, 8' traps have been dug out beneath the stage to allow set
pieces to rise up from below, and disappear again.
 
After investigating the cost of a mainstage with a balcony, Victory Gardens decided to keep everyone on one main floor to maintain the intimacy synonymous with productions at Victory Gardens. There will only be 12 rows with no seat further than 45' from the stage.  Individual seats will be wider than customary, and spaced to give comfortable legroom between rows. In keeping with Victory Gardens' longstanding commitment to persons with disabilities, there will be eight locations for patrons using wheelchairs in the very center of the auditorium.
 
Underscoring Victory Gardens' reputation for customer service, the Biograph's new lobby will eschew impersonal box office windows and glass barricades for a more open box office design, similar to a concierge desk in a hotel.  The lobby, painted in warm, inviting earth tones, will boast a full concession bar serving a wide range of beverages, including beer, wine and spirits.  Exposed brick walls will give the space a comfortable, urbane ambiance.  Of course, the lobby will have spacious new restrooms for men and women, plus an additional family restroom for patrons who need assistance.
 
A wide Grand Staircase will take patrons to the second floor, where the rehearsal hall/special events room will be a hub of activity, with rehearsals all day and opportunities to entertain subscribers and donors, complete with a small catering kitchen.   A new elevator also will carry people to and from floors.  The technical booth and tech staff office will be housed on the second floor, as will two unisex restrooms.  After the mainstage opens, a black box theater will be built on the second floor, providing a flexible space for rental productions, readings and other less formal performance experiences.
 
After the Biograph opens, Victory Gardens' will keep its current facility at 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue for the production of plays, rental productions, rehearsals, and administrative offices. Victory Gardens' expansion into a two-venue creative campus also will free up space for the Victory Gardens Training Center, a training ground for some of the city's most talented artists, taught by local professionals, currently serving more than 300 beginners and working professionals.

Originally built in 1914, the historic Biograph Theater is perhaps best known as the site where FBI agents killed gangster John Dillinger in 1934. Made of red pressed brick and adorned with terra cotta details, the theater was designed to give legitimacy to the fledgling film industry, and is one of only two remaining examples of early movie theater design in Chicago.  In 1999, the Biograph Theater was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places and was named a City Landmark by the City of Chicago's Commission of Historic Places.
 
One of Chicago's most respected Off-Loop theaters, Victory Gardens is primarily devoted to new work, and has presented more world premiere mainstage productions than any other Chicago theater since 1974.  Originally located at the old Metro Theater on North Clark Street, Victory Gardens moved to its current space in 1981, purchasing it with Body Politic.  When Body Politic ceased operations in 1995, Victory Gardens bought its share and has owned the building ever since.  In 2001, Victory Gardens received the Tony Award for Regional Theatre for "displaying a continuous level of artistic achievement contributing to the growth of theater nationally."
 
Victory Gardens continues to expand its artistic, financial and institutional boundaries under the guidance of Artistic Director Dennis Zacek, Managing Director Marcelle McVay, Associate Artistic Director Sandy Shinner, Director of Institutional Advancement Michael Cleavenger, Board President John Palmer, and a dedicated staff and board.  For the last four years, Victory Gardens has had more than 5,000 subscribers.  The theater's annual budget for the current 2005/06 season is $2.25 million.  A $2.8 annual budget is projected for 2006/07, Victory Gardens' first season at the Biograph.