IMAGES BY NICOLAS GOURGUECHON
Enhancing Chicago’s Theater Experience STEPPENWOLF THEATRE COMPANY’S NEW ART AND EDUCATION CENTER BLENDS THE OLD WITH THE NEW TO CREATE A DESTINATION FOR THE COMMUNITY
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BY BILL ESLER
hicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, regarded as a trailblazer in theater circles for nearly 50 years, has just opened a new $54 million, 50,000-square-foot theater and education center, named the Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center.
Steppenwolf is known for the dynamic productions developed by its ensemble of actors and creatives, which employ an unvarnished veracity that reflects the gritty style of its home city, where its campus is situated in a semi-gentrified aging industrial neighborhood. Founding players—such as Laurie Metcalf, John Malkovich, and Gary Sinise—are now big stars of stage and screen. The design of this new project and its integration into existing theater buildings was developed by a local team that channeled the goals of Steppenwolf’s ensemble and creative leaders. That team collaborated continuously in this second part of an ongoing three-phase program that will reach $74 million when completed. In interviews, it became apparent that the designers involved are also big fans of Steppenwolf. The theater is a significant economic driver in Chicago, with more than 200 venues generating millions of dollars in economic activity for the region. Though the pandemic suspended many performances, more than 80 theaters reopened in fall 2021,
