Abena Joan Brown used pluck and perseverance to create the ETA Creative Arts Foundation; but to build a theater, she needed money. That’s where Nick Rabkin came in.
“Theater can work as a tool for economic development,” says Joan Harris, commissioner of the Cultural Affairs Department. “Theaters attract people to neighborhoods; once the people are there, maybe they’ll get hungry and look for a place to eat. The point is, you’re bringing new resources into the community.”
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“I tell them, ‘The way to develop a theater is to get a loan from a bank.’ But by and large, they’re scared to borrow money. They have this old immigrant notion of money, which is that they should put it in their socks and spend it when they need it. And by and large, banks aren’t willing to take a risk on an arts group. The city’s economic-development department doesn’t want to use its money in this area–they’re concentrating on industrial development. It’s our department’s job.”
It’s not easy. For one thing, the Reagan administration has reduced funding for the CDBG program; the Department of Cultural Affairs may not have any money next year for its loan program. In addition, there are few, if any, banks or private developers willing to loan to artists. Such high-profile theater companies as Steppenwolf and Second City can find lenders. But most private investors treat art like housing: if it won’t make them money, they won’t invest a dime. To make his program work, Rabkin had to find successful troupes that still needed a boost from the city to expand. ETA, which has longevity and a commitment to Chicago, was an obvious choice.
“That was a big break for us,” says Brown. “We were no longer a small fry. People heard about us. They were asking, ‘Who are these “Ebony” people that Johnny Johnson’s suing?’”
It will cost over $1 million to rehab the building totally. The theater’s seats are plush and comfortable; there’s plenty of legroom; the floor is carpeted. Backstage are two dressing rooms and rehearsal space.
Hall, whose 12-person dance troupe has performed across the country and in Europe, also feels a connection to community; in this case, however, arts groups help keep Lakeview from becoming a kind of wasteland of dreary town houses and city-style subdivisions.
