Big love for the small stage: Pint-sized productions are the beating heart of the Rogers Park art scene

Peer off the platform of the Morse stop on the CTA red line and see… hardly anything at all. A dollar mart and a tiny drug store hold corners of the Morse and Glenwood intersection while liquor stores, coin laundries, small restaurants and apartment buildings dot the surrounding area. It’s unapparent that the grungy wooden platform overlooking this gritty, nondescript cross-section is a gateway to the Glenwood Avenue Arts District.

The train tracks that bisect Glenwood Avenue are the keepers of this burgeoning creative district nestled within the famously diverse and flavorful neighborhood of Rogers Park. The high cement wall that separates the elevated tracks from the street below is adorned with an eclectic, colorful mural emblazoned with the phrase “Arts for All” -- a testament to the aspiration shared by artists in the area.

“We do this for one reason—we can’t help it,” said Jeremy Trager, artistic coordinator for Rogers Park theater group Theo Ubique. “It’s the only thing we care about. Art is not valued in American culture … We have a base audience who appreciate what we do and understand it and share the experience with us.”

Rogers Park is no stranger to small theaters. The successful and critically acclaimed Lifeline Theatre has been fixture in the neighborhood’s artistic community for over two decades. Low rent makes the area appealing to many small-stage actors and actresses, and the cultural and economic diversity are natural catalysts for artistic expression.

“I think artists are drawn to this area not just because it’s affordable but because it’s a very diverse area, which makes it exciting,” said Dorothy Milne, artistic director for Lifeline, now celebrating 25 years of productions. “We’re really an entry point. A lot of different people live here that are recently arrived from all over the globe. We have a mix of every kind here -- cultural and economic -- and that makes it an interesting, rich place to live.”

Still, negative aspects of the neighborhood, especially crime and the uniform dinginess of the El stops, can be a deterrent for potential audience members. Many of the theaters are located in areas with poor lighting and little parking, forcing patrons to make dangerous post-show hikes to their cars. 

“The only issue they’ve got there is making audiences comfortable coming,” said Chris Jones, a Chicago Tribune theater critic who frequents neighborhood shows. “I think theater in Rogers Park is really good. You don’t need to see big spectacular productions to see real artistry. There’s real commitment.”

Rogers Park’s reputation has not deterred actors from working and living there. Its small, nonprofit theaters attract creative souls from all over Chicagoland. The opportunity to work in many aspects of production, as well as influence the aesthetic interpretation of the work, is a major draw.

“You can get more creative control and you’re allowed to express yourself more than in a big production,” said actor Anthony Tournis.

A member of the Chicago acting ensemble the Factory, he attends shows in Rogers Park to support friends and colleagues and to sustain nonprofit theater. For Tournis and others, a small stage is an ideal platform to hone a variety of skills instead of specializing in just one aspect of theatrical production.

Tournis is currently working on fight choreography for an upcoming Factory production.

“You can wear a lot of hats,” he said. “You can be an actor and also do fight choreography, and you could work on costumes while you’re working on acting in a show. Especially when you get to the upper levels like director, you really have to know a lot of different aspects of the show to make it work.”

“It’s more accessible,” added Angelina Martinez, who directed “Ceres” for the Factory and was standing outside the Lifeline with Tournis. “People also tend to be a little nicer at this level.”

The Bohemian Theatre Ensemble, also a member of the Glenwood Avenue Arts District, says it tries to “to teach others and ourselves how to expand, create and present art through theater while reveling not only in the process, but also in the journey.”

“We wanted to start a company that really met what we saw as a gap in the needs of the theater community—a theater that worked really hard on process and art and growing its actors and designers as artists,” said Tom Samorian, the Bohemian’s executive director, commonly referred to as the Boho. 

Some theaters emphasize their interest in the artistic process by constructing smaller, more intimate settings. The Boho performs at Heartland Studio, a storefront with seats for 31 audience members. 

“It’s very physical,” said Andrea Gardner, an Evanston resident who regularly attends Rogers Park theater. “They use the space really well.”

Gardner is convinced that the shows she sees in Rogers Park are smarter and of higher quality than those she sees elsewhere. On a lower budget, companies cannot rely on special effects to get the story across. 

“Our particular theater is the most intimate between audience and actor … there is no fourth wall,” said Theo Ubique’s Trager.  “It is cabaret minimalist theater … Our audiences come for the actors who stare right into their eyeballs when they are singing or speaking.”

Chicagoland troupes lacking their own facilities are also attracted to Rogers Park venues. Most recently, the Sinnerman Ensemble, created by students of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company, chose the Side Project Theatre to showcase their world premier play “Sweet Confinement.” Audience members spent 80 minutes without intermission watching the action unfurl on a tiny set. 

“I felt like a fly on the wall,” said audience member Matthew Stromer, after emerging from the show. “It was very intimate and the size of the theatre itself added to that …  It’s great to see what shows people can put on with the spaces they are given and how they can use that to their advantage.”

Stromer hopes that available space for theater in Rogers Park is not compromised by the change occurring in the neighborhood. Over the past decade Rogers Park has undergone dramatic alterations with many older buildings, income-fixed housing, and run-down street fronts giving way to more expensive condominiums and high-end shopping. 

With such a transformation it is possible that the face of Rogers Park theater goers may change with the community’s aesthetic.

“I think it’s great,” said Heather Winter, a Rogers Park resident. “I think it’s needed … It’s not even an issue of gentrification. It’s a matter of people feeling comfortable with their neighbors, coming out [to the plays], having a good time and being a friendly community.”

Members of the theater community agree--with reservations.

“We welcome [new Rogers Park condominium dwellers] as we welcome anyone into our shows,” said Samorian, who is a founding member of the Boho. “I think the changeover can only help things. I am worried, though, about losing the flavor of the community with these new developments.”

There’s great hope that people moving into the area will take an interest in the arts and contribute to the community and culture they have fostered. 

“Theater has always been in the DNA of Rogers Park,” said Jones, who also maintains a blog devoted to theaters in Chicago. “I think it’s the beginning of an exciting district.”