New beginnings – The famed Biograph launches a new phase in Chicago theater history

By Kristen Salamon

The history
Seventy-two years ago, John Dillinger attended a movie at the Biograph Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. He brought friends, including brothel owner Ana Cumpanas, with him to one of the only air-conditioned buildings in the city. Cumpanas, who at the time faced deportation charges, agreed to set up an FBI-led ambush on Dillinger in order to have the charges against her dropped. As they left the theater that night, the FBI gunned down the infamous gangster.

The pictures documenting the night Dillinger died all feature the Biograph Theater in the background. The now-famous marquee marks the spot where America’s Robin Hood is often honored and tour buses continue to drive to point out the crime scene.

It was not until 30 years later that Victory Gardens Theater was born. Seven Chicago artists each contributed $1,000 each to begin the Off-Loop theater known as Victory Gardens. Founded in 1974, the theater dedicated itself to promoting the city’s new, up-and-coming talent.

Since then, Victory Gardens has produced many successful plays that moved on to larger theaters in New York. The group won the 2001 Tony Award for Regional Theatre and has given start to well-known writers and actors. Among those who launched their careers at Victory Gardens is John Logan. After 10 years as a Chicago playwright, Logan moved on to become a screenwriter whose works include blockbuster films such as “The Last Samurai,” “Gladiator,” “The Aviator” and “Any Given Sunday.”

“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” star William Petersen also got a start in Chicago’s theaters. Petersen performed at Steppenwolf Theater in addition to Victory Gardens and is now most recognized as Gil Grissom on the original CSI television series.

For a city and theater both so rich in history, to find each other takes no stretch of the imagination. From 1914, when Samuel N. Crowen designed and built the Biograph Theater, until Victory Gardens bought it in 2004, people went there to see the latest films. Since 2004, the theater has been gutted and refurbished to contain a live theater.

The new Biograph
The talk of Victory Gardens finding another theater location began long before the 2004 purchase of the Biograph.

“I think the very first conversation was in a long-range planning session in 1999,” Victory Gardens managing director Marcelle McVay says.

According to McVay, talk turned specifically to the Biograph Theater shortly after the group won the 2001 Tony Award. The location of the Biograph, just two blocks north of Victory Gardens’ home at the Greenhouse Theater, was a major factor in the group’s decision to purchase it. Since the refurbishment of the Biograph, the Greenhouse location has remained the home of the group’s administrative offices and a second stage for its productions.
The fact that the Biograph is a national landmark did not pose a problem for the new owners of the theater. The restoration of the historical site remained a goal of both the group and the architects.

“The challenge with a landmark is that you need to preserve it. In our case, the contract language was ‘rehabilitate,’ ” McVay says. “But it’s only the facade. So we knew from the beginning we would be able to gut the Biograph.”

The new facilities contain a 299-seat theater with a 32-by-30-foot stage. The seating is 50 percent larger than the theater at the Greenhouse location. While the theater remains relatively small, the increased number of seats allows the company to grow.

“That was the big thing — the idea of Victory Gardens being an intimate theater where new work would be able to be produced in a comfortable setting,” McVay says.

In addition to the increased number of seats, Victory Gardens gained a larger stage and a dressing room that comfortably accommodates a cast of 11. Eventually, Victory Gardens plans to add another 120-seat studio stage and a rehearsal room to the Biograph location.

One of the first steps in the design process for the Biograph included visits to other theaters. During these visits, members of Victory Gardens decided what they liked about other theaters and what they didn’t like. From there, the group made a building plan of the things they needed. Then, Daniel P. Coffey & Associates, Ltd. took over the creative process. The beautiful storefront entrance includes a historically accurate, all-new replica of the original Biograph marquee. The original marquee was donated to the Chicago History Museum.

The fundraising campaign for the purchase and renovation of the Biograph began with a goal of $6.5 million. This was the estimated amount needed to complete the project. From 2001 until now, the company has raised $11.8 million, which is what the project ended up costing.

Now that Victory Gardens has a new location and has won a Tony Award, expectations for the quality of shows has been raised.

“We do all new work, so we’re always taking risks,” McVay says. “The level of efficiency that I think the shows are going to have to have is at a higher level than what they were before.”

According to McVay, while this does not mean that Victory Gardens will take fewer risks, it does ensure a more careful review of a play’s level of development.

“We don’t know all the answers yet, we’re just going to be feeling our way here for a little bit,” she adds. “But one of the concerns is how you stay true to your mission, and yet at the same time, realize that the ante has been upped.”

In that spirit, Victory Gardens opened its 2006-’07 season at the Biograph with Charles Smith’s “Denmark.” This historical play documents the life of freed slave Denmark Vesey, who uses his wages earned as a carpenter to plan a slave uprising instead of setting free the woman he loves. This brings about the timeless question: How do we reconcile our individual agendas with the best interests of our communities?

The play’s theme, applicable today, is one factor that led to it being chosen as the opener for the brand new theater.

“(Smith) is a playwright that is fairly sophisticated in terms of the themes that he uses,” McVay says. “He puts out an idea, and the play really addresses that idea in a number of different ways through the characters. We wanted a play of ideas to open the season.”

According to McVay, Smith, Victory Gardens’ veteran African-American playwright, is one of the group’s more mature writers. His writing is at a fairly complete level when the shows go to rehearsal, needing less development than other pieces. Victory Gardens also chose Smith’s play to start the season because it represents not only the diversity of the group, but also the diversity of the city of Chicago.

The future of the Biograph
The rest of the 2006-’07 season at the Biograph was chosen by the artistic director, Dennis Zacek, who stays in constant contact with the writers to determine which pieces are ready. Zacek then puts together a season that is balanced and reflects the current situation and issues of the day. He also takes into consideration which plays will allow the writers to grow while addressing the needs of the community.

“All of those things, balance and cast size, are taken into account when choosing the season,” McVay says.

On average, the plays at the Biograph are in rehearsal for three-and-a-half weeks before moving into 10 days of previews, then opening.

The next play to be performed at the Biograph will be “The Snow Queen,” opening Dec. 1. Based on the tale by Hans Christian Anderson, the piece tells the story of innocence and loss to a wide audience. This world premiere adaptation by director Frank Galati and composer Michael Smith is the perfect outing for families this holiday season.

“It’s a play that will work even more than ‘Denmark’ did through spectacle,” McVay says.

The play will feature puppets designed by Blair Thomas, a founder of Redmoon Theater, along with three main actors and musicians. All of the characters and musicians will interact to tell this holiday tale.

Despite Victory Gardens’ small theater and world-premiere shows, it is not a venue too expensive for students and those of limited means. The group always offers $20 tickets as well as half-price tickets for students 30 minutes before the show.

The re-opening of the Biograph aims to create more opportunities for playwrights looking to find a start and grow in the midst of Chicago’s vast theater community.

“We really hope to provide flexibility for the playwrights,” McVay says. “We want to be able to have the playwrights have an environment in which they can do shows that have settings and a cast of characters and perspective that is broader than what they are allowed to do at the Victory Gardens mainstage now.”

Victory Gardens Theatre at The Biograph is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Ave. For more information on upcoming plays, log on to www.victorygardens.org or call (773) 871-3000.

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