Bargain Basement Theater
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Like Cabaret Voltaire, the World War I-era Zurich nightclub that inspired its name, Chicago’s Voltaire has sought to maintain an eclectic, somewhat ambiguous profile as a restaurant cum art gallery cum avant-garde cabaret. Its campy monthly calendar has boasted a wide variety of shows: from full-scale (albeit low-budget) plays to improv troupes to monologuists, poets, musicians, and even tap dancers. Offering perhaps the best of all possible deals to optimistic theater companies, Voltaire charges artists a minimal $60 per production and splits each night’s box-office receipts on a sliding scale that tilts generously in the artists’ favor. As a result, the cellar has been a magnet for novices and veterans alike looking for a way to experiment with minimal risk.
“You can try something out without losing a fortune,” says actor-director Frank Farrell, whose well-received staging of Caryl Churchill’s double bill Ice Cream and Hot Fudge has been extended through February 15. “Obviously the facilities are less than you might get at a place like the Theatre Building. But it does have walk-in business, it has an established track record, and the bohemian atmosphere helps cover the rough edges. I see Voltaire as a jumping-off point. If something’s worthwhile, maybe it can be moved.”
The Kindness of Strangers
