Steppenwolf Theatre To Expand Lincoln Park Campus With New Theater-In-The-Round
CHICAGO (CBS)--Chicago's theater scene has always been bold, innovative and award-winning, but one longtime company has been thrilling audiences with provocative shows since 1974--and it's about to get bigger.
Steppenwolf Theatre, at 1650 N. Halsted St. in Lincoln Park, is currently undergoing an expansion that was first initiated in 2014.
The theater company currently has three spaces – the 515-seat Downstairs Theatre, the 299-seat Upstairs Theatre, and the 80-seat 1700 Theatre, which opened in 2016.
Their new fourth theater will be a 400-seat in-the-round space, with six rows of seats facing a stage in the center.
The new facility will feature a two-story atrium lobby, a wine bar, and a sidewalk lounge. The 50,000-square-foot building just south of the current theater will be completed in 2021.
Steppenwolf Theater was founded in 1974 by three friends, including actor Gary Sinise.
Renowned Steppenwolf members are expected to attend the groundbreaking on Halsted Street, where organizers will share details about the next chapter of the theater's future.
Developers of the upcoming expansion are expected to reveal details today at a groundbreaking ceremony at the theater. Video of the new building also will be unveiled at the groundbreaking at 11 a.m.
