CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Tuesday was a big day for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, located at 1650 N. Halsted St., as the ribbon was cut and the new space was officially dedicated.
"Welcome back to Steppenwolf," said Brooke Flanigan, Executive Director. "You are our first audience. At Steppenwolf, the art on our stages is central to our mission. The spaces in this extraordinary facility that allow for community connection, artistic incubation, and art-centered education all flow from this stage."
The $74 million, 50,000-square-foot Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center houses a 400-seat theater in the round, an education floor, a two-story atrium lobby, a wine bar and lounge, and a costume shop.
The expansion project began in 2007, as part of a three-phase project.
"It's hard to put into words what today means to me," said Audrey Francis, Artistic Director. "For all of us here at Steppenwolf, this ability to be able to gather, to collaborate, and to collide is an immense privilege. It's a privilege we consider sacred."
Francis said Chicago still remains one of our most segregated cities in the country.
"Steppenwolf aims to cultivate a space where Black stories are uplifted and Black lives are celebrated. We pledge to infuse our work with anti-racism. We speak these acknowledgements into this space with respect and gratitude and the hope to spark more awareness and empathy for everyone in our community," she said.
The fourth-floor Loft features floor-to-ceiling windows, an outdoor terrace, classrooms, and creative space.
The Loft includes three learning spaces for young people, as well as gallery walls that will feature works by young visual artists selected via Steppenwolf’s Loft Teen Arts Project.
Davis said the new theater represents a symbol of hope for the arts in Chicago and cultural life into the future.
"We begin a new era of art making. One in which our work comes to life in new and expansive ways," Davis said. "With our new state of the round theater, we now have three different theaters with which we can be in conversation with our audience."
The iconic theater reopens to live audiences Nov. 11 with BUG. The first production in the new theater will be in February.