Cubby Bear’s Revenge, Part 2: Brad Loses His Baby

“We had philosophical and professional differences,” Loukas said later of the reasons for Altman’s termination. “You could say that the story was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” he admitted.

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Altman believes Loukas fired him because he felt that his employee had taken too much of the credit for the Cubby Bear’s success. “He feels we both should be getting credit.” Observers of the club scene have generally regarded Loukas as primarily a money man. Perhaps he now wishes to change that perception.

Katsis said he was trying to cut a deal with Loukas that would allow Q Productions to continue booking acts into the Cubby Bear through Altman. The arrangement would allow Altman to work for Q rather than for Loukas. “I’m trying to keep an open mind,” said Loukas, but he categorically ruled out Altman ever again working directly for him.

Bailiwick Repertory is happily kissing its cramped space in the Jane Addams Hull House good-bye and moving into the Theatre Building, where it will occupy the 150-seat south theater that formerly housed the now-defunct Absolute Theatre Company. Bailiwick plans to be in the new space at least through May 1993; it opens At Long Last Leo there on February 9. For Bailiwick artistic director David Zak, the move means the company will enjoy support services not available at Hull House. “We’ll have box-office service, public relations support, a tech director, and a lobby bar,” said Zak. Bailiwick is coming off one of the most successful productions in its history–an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo that ran for ten weeks–and it currently has 1,500 subscribers and an operating budget of around $325,000. Zak said he’d also like to find a nearby loft where Bailiwick could mount experimental projects. Hull House building manager Elizabeth Perriello said there were no specific plans yet for the space Bailiwick vacated. “We’ve just begun to discuss that,” she said.

Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Charles Eshelman.