November 23, 2024
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Theater groups join together to create socially distanced theater space

The Genesee, Three Brothers theaters partner on black box theater

By Jami Kunzer
Colleen Rogalski, marketing & booking manager, and Sandy Pauly, special events coordinator, sit at one of the socially distant tables in the new Genesee Street Cabaret with black box style events produced by The Genesee Theatre and located inside the Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan.

Candace H. Johnson-for Shaw Local Colleen Rogalski, marketing & booking manager, and Sandy Pauly, special events coordinator, sit at one of the socially distant tables in the new Genesee Street Cabaret with black box style events produced by The Genesee Theatre and located inside the Three Brothers Theatre in Waukegan. (2/2/21) (Candace H.Johnson)

WAUKEGAN – Live theater will return to Lake County at a newly renovated theater designed with social distancing in mind.

The Genesee Theatre has partnered with Three Brothers Theatre to turn space in Waukegan into a new black box theater.

The space is located about a half block away from The Genesee Theatre.

The first of the smaller, dinner theater-style shows begins Feb. 27.

“It’s been almost a year since we’ve been able to offer people anything,” said Colleen Rogalski, marketing and booking manager for The Genesee Theatre. “We cannot wait to have everybody back.”

Comedian Charlie Berens will perform two shows Feb. 27, followed by a lineup of artists through June. Among them are the most recent winner of “America’s Got Talent,” poet Brandon Leake, on March 20 and Plain White T’s: Acoustic Duo on March 28.

The Genesee Theatre will share the space at 221 N. Genesee St. with Three Brothers, a nonprofit theater company formed in 2012. The space will be branded as Genesee Street Cabaret when The Genesee Theatre uses it. When Three Brothers invites patrons for live productions, it will be Stage 221. Three Brothers also owns Stage 115 at 115 N. Genesee St. in Waukegan.

Like The Genesee Theatre, Three Brothers Theatre hasn’t performed live shows since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Because the group’s artists come from all over the Chicago area, Wisconsin and beyond, Three Brothers doesn’t expect to be able to produce a new live show until the fall, said Josh Beadle, the organization’s executive director.

Partnering with The Genesee Theatre made sense, Beadle said. The Genesee Theatre has worked to transform the space with new paint, enhanced lighting and sound technology and a new curtain system. Patrons will sit at 25 tables.

“It’s been a huge boon for us because we just didn’t have the resources the Friends of the Genesee Theatre has to be able to remodel our space,” Beadle said. “It just elevates the venue so much more than what we would have been able to. It would have taken us probably another decade to build that financial base to do the things they were able to do in that space. It just looks so much better.

“They’re almost not going to recognize the theater,” Beadle added. “It has improved so much and looks so much cozier and nicer.”

The Genesee Theatre always had planned to use the Three Brothers space in some capacity, perhaps as an area for master classes and meet and greets, Rogalski said.

When the pandemic began, new plans took shape. Pandemic restrictions prevented use of The Genesee Theatre’s main 2,400-seat auditorium, Rogalski said.

“We got creative, and we got resourceful,” she said. “Everyone’s having to adjust, and we’re really, really lucky to still have our staff with us and to still be able to do something like this. We have the success of The Genesee Theatre over the last several years to thank for that.”

For now, tickets for each show will be limited to 50 people and will include free parking and a table for two. Patrons must wear face masks unless eating or drinking. For information or to buy tickets, go to www.geneseetheatre.com. For information on Three Brothers Theatre, go to Threebrotherstheatre.com.

“There’s not a bad seat in the house,” Rogalski said. “You’re going to be pretty close to the artist. … We’re really looking forward to entertaining people again.”


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