HowlRound Theatre Commons: Storefront theatre is one of the cornerstones of Chicago theatre history. Transforming small, non-performance venues into theatrical spaces is a time-honored tradition of the city’s small theatre companies. So, when my company, Stage Left Theatre, found itself in need of space for a recent show, we wondered if we might return to our storefront roots for the project.
2 comments:
I was unaware of what storefront theater was! This not only was interesting to learn about what that was but to also see how they are trying to target a younger audience. I think this a crucial aspect of keeping the art we all love alive. I am in the audio industry and trust me, its is an old demographic which is scary and challenges the future of the industry. Having unique and new ways to grab the younger generation I think should always be positively looked at! How interesting!
Some of the first shows I saw by local companies in my home state would be quantified as storefront theatre. After reading this article I realized I was still doing storefront theatre when I started working with some of those companies years later. Storefront is a way to get great learning experiences. It can also make you question how much do you really want to do theatre. If there is a shred of doubt you'll find that you'll either love doing theatre no matter what or you'll get out fast. It teaches you how to work within your means, make resources stretch as far as possible and find creative solutions. I’ve never seen companies reduce, reuse, recycle, or repurpose more items than a small company trying to build something. There are skills that I learned by doing storefront level theatre that I know I wouldn’t have gained working in traditional spaces. There’s a level of forethought required in storefront theatre that isn’t required when you’re in a traditional space or have a consistent performance space. Planning is crucial. Getting licenses and cutting through red tape takes weeks to months before planning the usual production milestones. You figure out what's important and what's not fast. It's a way to make theatre really approachable and accessible for lots of people especially those who may not have money to drop on even moderately priced shows.
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