Theatre News Wire

Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre, a long-standing pillar of the city's world-class theater scene, has announced a pause in its operations due to dwindling revenues. The theatre, which has been a resident at the Water Tower Water Works on Michigan Avenue for many years, has revealed plans to reduce its full-time staff from 24 to 10 employees and to halt programming until late spring of 2024.

The ensemble-driven theatre, founded by a close-knit group of Northwestern University classmates and friends in 1988, has been a significant contributor to the original works in the theatre scene for the last 35 years. The theatre's productions, known for their strong visual sensibility, have been central to Chicago's theatre scene, earning it the 2011 Tony Award for excellence in regional theatre.

However, the theatre has seen audiences drop away in recent months, leading to a significant decrease in revenue. The current production of "Lucy and Charlie's Honeymoon" will finish out its run on July 16, after which no further productions are planned until spring of 2024 at the earliest.

The news was made public via a letter to donors and supporters from artistic director Heidi Stillman and theater board of directors chair Diane Whatton. The letter read, in part, "While the pandemic has been declared over, theatres in our country are still feeling the effects of needing to shut down for so long. Since re-opening, audiences and donations have not returned to 2019 levels, and the American Theatre is struggling to survive. We are announcing today that we have to take the heavy, but intentional, step of reducing our staff and will be producing less and in different ways in the coming year as we re-imagine our future."

The theatre also announced a $2.5 million fundraising effort to help secure the future of the theatre. The theatre company also revealed plans to re-envision and renovate the outer lobby space in the Water Tower Water Works building in partnership with the Chicago Public Library, thanks to capital funding from the State of Illinois.

Erin Harkey, the commissioner for the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, called the theater's temporary closure another example of the hardship the industry continues to endure as a result of pandemic shutdowns. Harkey said, "Chicago's theater scene is one of the greatest in the world. They were hit hard by the pandemic - and they have never fully recovered. Lookingglass Theatre Company is the latest example of a theater having to make a tough choice, which is happening in greater frequency throughout the country. We're going to continue to encourage our neighbors and visitors to get back in the habit of experiencing live shows, rallying to drive ticket sales, and employ a cohesive strategy that will support all of our theaters, including Lookingglass."

The Lookingglass Theatre's pause in operations and staff layoffs are a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by the theatre industry in the wake of the pandemic. As the theatre reimagines its future, the hope is that the vibrant and innovative spirit that has characterized Lookingglass for over three decades will guide it through these challenging times.