First Street Playhouse to

close its doors for a while

The Board of Directors for the playhouse made the announcement in conjunction with the run of The Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh, at the theater at Water and First streets here. It will be the theater's last show in its present location.

Steve Lord, board president, said the current board and the theater company's organization will remain intact, and will seek to reopen in a new location.

"We are looking for a smaller, more compact place," he said. "We intend to reopen as soon as possible to continue our mission of presenting plays and workshops as entertainment and education for the community."

First Street Playhouse Executive Director Eric Schwartz announced the theater's intention in a letter to patrons in the programs for The Pillowman. There also are comments in the program from director Craig Gustafson, a frequent director at the First Street.

"Yes, after the run of this show we are closing our doors for a time," Schwartz says in his message. "And trust us, this is not bad news. As an organization we are staying together and we are currently looking for a smaller, simpler space to set up shop and start something new. Our hope is to debut our new theater before spring. 

"Several years ago, under the guidance of then Executive Director and founder Julane Sullivan, this space and the adjacent Fiore Stage were created to bring bold, exciting work to the western suburbs and we feel we have met that challenge head on.

"Whether it was a midwestern debut like Wonder of the World, original work like Sex In The Title, offbeat and edgy shows like Shakespeare's R & J and The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me or theater classics like Lend Me a Tenor, You Can't Take It With You and Arsenic and Old Lace, we have always worked to bring diverse, exciting theater to our little corner of the world. We have also helped hundreds of children find the magic of theater through our workshops, which we are very proud of."

The current show, The Pillowman, is keeping alive the First Street tradition of tackling difficult, edgy productions Many other theaters will not do. In its first two weeks, the production has played to full houses, and both audience and critical acclaim.

"Kudos to First Street Playhouse for picking a piece not meant for children and moving away from traditional community theater fare," said The Insider, an entertainment magazine in Chicago's suburbs. "This is modern theater with a sparkling edge."

In moving forward, the board will keep its newly formed management team of Schwartz, Artistic Director Carol Bair-Calzaretta and Technical Director Eric Prebys in place. Other board members include Sullivan, Dennis Miller, Marie Meyer-Boian, Brenda Renaud and Jill Orr.