The Athenaeum Theatre . . .
Athenaeum Theatre Productions is firmly committed to providing the Chicago non-profit performing arts community a welcoming shared space to incubate new projects and collaborations by providing high quality and below cost performance, rehearsal, office and reception space supported by a staff of theatre professionals.
Athenaeum Theatre Productions (ATP) is Chicago’s premiere performance arts service organization, providing our Chicago and Illinois’s vibrant and diverse non-profit arts community with below cost performance and rehearsal spaces, and affordable office space supported by a staff of theatre professionals encouraging the community to incubate new projects and collaborations.
The Athenaeum Theatre is home to a 950-seat opera house; Chicago’s oldest, continuously operating off-loop theatre, as well as three “black box” studio theatres accommodating between 65 and 90 audience members. Our theatres are competitively priced and are fully supported by our in-house technical team, Bread and Roses, and our expert front-of-house management team. All clients receive box office and marketing support services from ATP, as well as consultations with our staff as needed. We view our rental clients as artistic and administrative partners all working toward common fiscal and aesthetic goals.
ATP is unique in offering full-service office spaces at below-market rates. Our clients, all non-profit performing arts organizations, not only have private office spaces within the Athenaeum Theatre, but also have access to a range of shared resources, including copiers, fax machines, conference rooms, and other meeting spaces, all in a central location easily accessed by public transportation, automobile, and bicycle.
As many as twenty non-profit arts and education organizations call the Athenaeum their artistic home, either for performance space, office space or both. Our partner clients reflect the exceptional diversity of professional artistry and talent that Chicago has to offer. The Athenaeum is home to union and non-union companies including Congo Square, Teatro Vista, Chicago Improv Festival, Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus, DANCE Chicago, Emerald City Theatre, Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, The Saints and the list continues to grow. With shared resources, shared space, and shared experiences, these artists have the opportunity to collaborate, allowing each organization to thrive and continue to create their own unique art.
Parking:
Getting to the theatre early is your best bet. There is plenty of
free street parking in the area around the theatre west of Southport.
There is a small parking lot behind the theatre, which we share with
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Enter this parking lot on Oakdale St.
There is a second parking lot on the corner of Southport Ave. and
Oakdale St.
Enter this parking lot on Southport Ave. Note: The St.
Alphonsus lots have a “Pay and Display” system in place. $2.00 an hour
$6.00 maxium until midnight. There is no overnight parking in these
lots.
The Pay Station machines have instructions (see copy to the left) and
rates posted on or near them in both lots. The machine in the Southport
lot is located between the in and out driveways. There is one machine
in the Oakdale lot. Should a machine not work for some reason, please
pay at any other machine, making sure that the receipt gets onto your
dashboard.
The lots are patrolled and cars which do not have the proper receipt
in the front window, will be towed even if you did pay! If you park and
pay for a short amount of time and stay past the ending time printed on
your receipt, you must pay again since your parking receipt will have
expired.
Please read and understand the instructions posted in each lot since
the theatre can not help you in the event you are towed. Please note:
The machines take credit cards or cash and exact change is required. The
box office is unable to supply you with small bills for these machines.
Cars left in the lots past midnight are subject to being towed!
If both parking lots are full, there are two City of Chicago parking lots within a few blocks of the theatre.
1. Ashland and Barry Aves.–go 2 blocks WEST to Ashland Ave. and 1 block NORTH to Barry Ave.
2. Belmont and Greenview Aves.–go 1 block WEST to Greenview Ave. and 2 blocks NORTH to Belmont Ave.
