Today we’d like to introduce you to Gus Menary.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Gus. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
In 2008, I was a directing major under Sheldon Patinkin’s tutelage at Columbia College Chicago. As part of an assignment to design a fictional theatre company, I was paired with my friend Kaiser Ahmed. We then brought in our friends AJ Ware and Andrew Swanson and completed the assignment with flying colors under the banner of Jackalope Theatre. It seems a little silly now, but I think when looking down the well-trodden career path of a theatre director, we saw little opportunity to create the work we were interested in. At least, in the near future. And being the young, brash, and impatient monsters we are, we didn’t want to wait. So, with youthful vigor and dire warnings from our mentors, we started Jackalope Theatre as a nonprofit company to produce, write, and direct theatre that reflected the ever-shifting American Identity. Midway in our 6th season, we found a home in Edgewater. I became Artistic Director in our 8th. Now, having just announced our 10th season, we find ourselves with a blackbox theatre on Thorndale and a beautiful space in the Broadway Armory, where we present our mainstage shows. We’ve produced work that has since gone on to off-Broadway and regional theaters around the country. We pride ourselves on working with both local and national playwrights and maintaining high production values in presenting work that speaks to the American condition.
Has it been a smooth road?
As with any nonprofit arts company, we’ve gone through periods of feast and famine. When we founded, we were itinerant and spent many years bopping around to different theaters. I think it wasn’t until we were given a residency at the Viaduct Theater that our voice seemed to truly crystallize. When the Viaduct shut down we spent some time worrying if we would return to the vagabond lifestyle, but through some incredible work by our Director of Community Engagement, Andrew Swanson, we found a home in Edgewater. Edgewater is a beautiful, diverse and active community that supports its residents and businesses. We had support from the Alderman, Harry Osterman, the Chamber of Commerce, and local businesses and fellow local theatre companies. It was truly inspiring and drove us to strive harder.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Our mission statement:
“Jackalope Theatre expands the American identity by engaging with our communities to produce works that celebrate diverse perspectives.”
We founded in 2008 and, since that time, Jackalope has evolved into a dynamic, respected arts organization.
Now in our 9th Season, we produce three full length plays, a co-production with local theatre company, The Yard, and the Living Newspaper Festival of new plays every year, as well as support artistic programming of every discipline at The Frontier, our storefront home in Edgewater.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago is the goddamn best. Creativity is a struggle, like anywhere, but, if you’re passionate, you will find your audience.
To improve? Accessibility, Accessibility, Ac·ces·si·bil·i·ty. Offering ways to connect the three sides of this city to each other, finding ways to speak to and with ALL Chicagoans, offer more options for the disabled to see and participate in the work, closed captioned performances, touch tours, senior citizen nights. If theatre, in this difficult time, is to be of the people, then we need to make sure those telling the stories and witnessing the work are representative. This is not just a constant fight for Jackalope, but for all arts organizations in the city.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1106 W Thorndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60660
- Website: www.JackalopeTheatre.org
- Email: Jackalope@jackalopetheatre.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jackalopethtre/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jackalopetheatrecompany/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jackalopetc
Image Credit:
Photos taken by Joel Maisonet Photography (http://joelmaisonet.com) and Alex Hand at Underscore Studios, LLC.
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