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:

Chicago Children's Theatre

Company members of the 2018 world premiere production of LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET.

Remy Bumppo

Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage. Photo is courtesy of Nomee Photography featuring (L to R): Ajax Dontavius and Tiffany Renee Johnson.

Music Theater Works

(L to R) Jason Richards and Ginger Minj in Music Theater Works LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, 2022. Photo by Brett Beiner.

Congo Square Theatre

Kelvin Roston, Jr. in Congo Square Theatre’s production TWISTED MELODIES. Photo by Samuel Roberson, Jr.

The Actors Gymnasium

Members of The Actors Gymnasium Pro Training Class in 2018. Photo by Cole Simon.

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Music Theater Works is working with rights-holders of classic musicals to update shows with outdated or actively offensive content.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

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.