Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Evanston’s new Northlight Theatre is built for new plays

wbez.org · 12dShare

As theaters around the country, including Broadway, continue to struggle, one Chicago suburb is cutting the ribbon on yet another multimillion dollar venue in the area. You can’t miss Evanston’s new $32 million Northlight Theatre. Situated near both CTA and Metra train stations, with its two-story glass walls facing outward, the building is the result of concerted efforts to integrate the theater company into the neighborhood and create an arts anchor. “We wanted to design a building that fit into Evanston, but also was distinctive,” said Northlight Executive Director Tim Evans. “It has an industrial sort of feel to it and look to it because we make art in here, but we also wanted it to have a bit of a contemporary flair.” It took more than a decade to get here. The initial idea started with a study by the National Endowment for the Arts to design an arts district in downtown Evanston that included Northlight’s return. Founded in Evanston in the 1970s, Northlight has spent recent years

First report: Evanston’s new Northlight Theatre is built for new plays — suntimes.com, 12d