Callling it ‘the end of an era,’ Bailiwick Repertory founder and artistic director David Zak notified patrons in a letter that the company will be leaving its space at 1229 W. Belmont at the end of this year.
Jeremy Wechsler and Theatre Wit will take over the space in 2009. Bailiwick’s remaining productions and events for the current year—including the Oct. 12 Trailblazer Awards—will still go on as planned. There will also be a prop sale Oct. 17-18.
Zak mentioned always having ‘great memories’ from productions such as Jerry Springer—The Opera, but also acknowledged that the space has ‘been a great financial burden, and this being an old building was and is in constant need of repair.’ He added that he is looking forward to moving into another venue and that the company is ‘planning for Pride 2009 for summer.’
Zak insisted in his letter that the company is not folding: ‘ [W] e are not closing or shutting down. After all, we have after all made changes in venue in the past, from Jane Addams Hull House down the street to Belmont Avenue, and I know that change has always been an important part of the company’s long term health.’
Responding to rumors that Bailiwick was closing, Zak recently told Windy City Times that ‘there are changes down the road.’