Chicago, IL
Housed in the Fine Arts Building, the Studebaker originally opened for vaudeville, classical music, and opera, while the Fine Arts Building served as a hub for artists and social movements.
Running continuously as a live performance theatre until 1982, it was converted into a cinema for the last 18 years of the 20th century. After sitting dark for 15 years, a restoration and renewal process began and in 2022 a renovated and upgraded Studebaker burst onto the scene, thanks to a devoted new owner with a vision and a passion for arts in Chicago.
As the home of National Public Radio’s live quiz show, Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! a focus of the theatre’s renovation was making the space capable of supporting live broadcasts.
The theatre was equipped with entirely new infrastructure for rigging, power and cabling to accommodate the broadcasting needs of the space. Care was taken to preserve architectural elements while planning new front of house lighting positions and stage rigging systems.
A lounge was created for VIP guests.
The venue now includes separate booths for audio and video production.
Schuler Shook planned the reshaping of the balcony and seating to make room for a VIP lounge and video and audio production booths. Audience seating was replaced to provide modern day comfort.
Today the Studebaker is an active venue, hosting not only NPR’s live quiz show, but also productions by the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, the Chicago Opera Theater, the Chicago Academy for the Arts, and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra.
Hammersley Architecture
Threshold Acoustics
