The Saints Announces $100,000 In Grants Awarded To 22 Performing Arts Groups

The Saints announces $100,000 in grants awarded to 22 performing arts groups in the Chicagoland area.  The grants, in amounts from $900 to $7500, are given to theaters, dance, and music groups for projects in the 2014-2015 performance year.  Projects may fund an interesting play, commission new works, enhance a performance space, or pay for much needed lighting, sound, or electronic equipment.   Awardees range in size from tiny, obscure black box theaters to some of our best known, world class venues, whether or not they use the Saints volunteer ushers.

Grants are awarded by the Saints Grants Commission, all volunteers, who evaluated a total of 135 proposals.  The grants funding comes from the dues that the 2200 Saints pay annually as well as the proceeds of an annual fundraising event.

The twenty-two organizations awarded Saints Grants this year are listed below in alphabetical order:

1)    Akvavit Theatre   To purchase a laptop computer for use in running shows, and editing and storing photos and videos

2)    American Blues Theater   To develop the world premiere adaptation of Native Son in collaboration with Court Theatre, to run in the fall of 2014

3)    Artemisia, A Chicago Theatre   To fund a leading female actor in the American premiere of Belfast Girls, by Jaki McCarrick

4)    Chicago Dance Crash   To fund materials needed to construct electronic costumes for their 2014 summer production of Tron: End of Line at the Biograph Theater

5)    Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble   To fund light/sound equipment for Unraveling Veterans Performance Project at the National Veterans Art Museum, which focuses on our military families and the effects of PTS

6)    City Lit Theater Company   To fund a computer-based system uniting control of lighting, sound, video and other system effects to increase their capability and simplify execution of effective lighting, sound, and special effect design

7)    Filament Theatre Ensemble   To purchase a lighting package so Filament can  provide the equipment necessary to bring world-class artistic collaborations to their performing arts center in Portage Park

8)     Genesis Theatrical Productions    To hire a prominent director to direct the Chicago premiere of Downrange, part of their efforts to include more women as playwrights, actors or directors

9)     The Gift Theatre Company   To provide technical support and equipment to enhance the overall customer experience and give Gift Theatre the option of doing a musical for the first time

10)    Halcyon Theatre   To purchase a portable light console for use at their home performance space in Albany Park

11)    The Haymarket Opera Company   To make the first commercial audio recording of Gli Equivoci Nel Sembiante, a significant Scarlatti opera which has fallen into oblivion

12)    Interrobang Theatre Project   To purchase a lighting console and sound equipment

13)    Jackalope Theatre Company    To obtain lighting equipment to be used in a cultural partnership with the Chicago Park District in their new location in Broadway Armory Park

14)    Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.   To upgrade sound and lighting equipment

15)    Oracle Productions   To fund sound design improvements for theater productions

16)    The Plagiarists   To purchase materials and provide a stipend for an artist to create multiple puppets for a production of These Saints Will Burn

17)    Pride Films and Plays   To fund royalties for finalists in PFP writing contests – Great Gay Play, Women’s Work (plays by women with lesbian themes), and Great Gay Screenplay

18)    Profiles Performance Ensemble   To help purchase a modern sound and lighting system at the new Profiles space, The Main Stage

19)    Redtwist Theatre   To create and enhance the lighting for special flashback sequences in the world premiere play, Geezers

20)    Signal Ensemble Theatre   To purchase tools and equipment for their new scene shop space

21)    Strawdog Theatre Company   To purchase LED lighting equipment

22)    Theatre-Hikes   To partially fund the creator, artists and hike leader for their first commissioned play, Ghost Stories, an original work created by a Chicago team of artists and based on Chicago ghost stories