SIGNAL GRANTS
On occasion, we award Chicago-area theatres in order to draw focus to a company the foundation believes in, and and respond to a need for that community. We hope this will inspire other donors to give generously to the companies. Awards vary in size, and are one-time payments. Past recipients include:






2024
Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble
Support to replace their Marley dance floor.
Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Support for development of a shared administrative staffing model with several other neighbor theatre organizations.
2023
Chicago Children’s Theatre
Funding to expand and deploy their trauma-informed-care program (R.O.A.R.- Residencies of Arts and Resilience) to include a Spanish-language curriculum.
Remy Bumppo
Funding to support and expand the Studio Bumppo professional-development program.
2022
Music Theater Works
Music Theater Works is working with rights-holders of classic musicals to update shows with outdated or actively offensive content.
2020-21
In lieu of our normal Stepping Stone Grant, we elected to support a larger number of theatre companies as they returned to live performances. The grant recipients for this cycle are:
Aguijón Theater Company
Cabinet of Curiosity
Chicago Children’s Theatre
Collaboraction
Court Theatre
Definition Theatre Company
Interrobang Theatre Project
Shattered Globe Theatre
Silk Road Rising
Teatro Vista
Theater Wit
TimeLine Theater Company
Piven Theatre Workshop (EPIC Program)
Red Tape Theatre
2019
Congo Square Theatre
Support to hire an Executive Director - From Broadway World - The 20-year milestone comes at a time when the organization is restructuring, so that it can continue to be the creative home of black artists at all stages of their career, while continuing to produce powerful theatre that portrays the African American experience. The restructure includes Luther Goins joining as Interim Executive Director. Goins is a producer, director, playwright and theatre consultant whose past experience includes serving as the Managing Director at Chicago Theatre Company; more recently he served as Business Representative with the Chicago office of Actors' Equity Association, the Union for Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
The Actors Gymnasium
Support for new equipment - From DanceLand - The Actors Gymnasium plans to use the $25,000 award to make critical improvements to its equipment and facilities, which are used by over 1,000 students annually. “We are tremendously grateful for the Bayless Family’s support, which will have an immediate, tangible impact on the quality of our classes and our audience experience,” said Executive Director Murphy Monroe.