North Shore Center for the Performing Arts

The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie is an esteemed cultural institution located at 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, Illinois. Established as a result of a collaboration between the Village of Skokie and the State of Illinois, the center has been serving the community since its inception in November 1996. The facility was designed by the Boston-based architect and developer Graham Gund and has been recognized with the National Commercial Builder’s Award of Excellence Merit Award in 1998. With a mission to enrich the cultural landscape of Chicago's North Shore, the center operates under the auspices of the Village of Skokie and provides a wide array of cultural, literary, and educational programs. It features two state-of-the-art theaters: the 867-seat mainstage Center Theatre and the versatile 318-seat North Theatre, which boasts a three-quarter thrust stage. The Center Theatre is acclaimed for its intimate atmosphere and perfect acoustics, ensuring that even the furthest seat is a mere 80 feet away from the stage. The North Theatre, with only ten rows, ensures that no seat is more than 30 feet from the stage, providing an intimate experience for attendees. The North Shore Center was conceived in the mid-1980s when Dorothy Litwin, the former Executive Director of Centre East, sought funding from the State of Illinois under the Build Illinois Program. The Village of Skokie supported the project as both an economic stimulus and a cultural asset. The Centre East Metropolitan Exposition, Auditorium and Office Building Authority, created by the State of Illinois, became the owner of the new performing arts center, with appointments to the board made by the Village of Skokie and Niles Township. Constructed at a cost of $18 million, the State of Illinois contributed $13.2 million, with the Village of Skokie providing $3.4 million. The remainder was funded by the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation along with other private donors. Northlight Theatre, one of the resident companies, also raised additional funds for the build-out of its namesake theatre. The North Shore Center has a rich history of hosting a variety of events, including the pre-Broadway tryout of "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" starring Kristen Chenoweth and Anthony Rapp. It has also been the venue for the Chicago Theatre Community's annual Joseph Jefferson Awards multiple times. Over the years, the center has welcomed an array of stars such as Bob Newhart, Kathy Griffin, Queen Latifah, Bill Maher, Rita Moreno, Paula Poundstone, Neil Sedaka, and esteemed dance companies like the Joffrey Ballet and Twyla Tharp Dance Company. Annually, the North Shore Center attracts approximately 200,000 visitors through its Feature Series, which presents around 40 performances each season, and its Youtheatre educational program that reaches over 18,000 school children. The center also accommodates private events, including weddings, conferences, and trade shows, and celebrates the diversity of the North Shore communities by hosting events in various languages. Managed by a dedicated staff and governed by a board of trustees, the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts Foundation plays a pivotal role in supporting the center's operations and community outreach initiatives. The foundation encourages donations and corporate sponsorships to sustain and enhance the center's offerings. The North Shore Center for the Performing Arts remains a beacon of culture and entertainment, contributing significantly to the vibrancy and diversity of the arts scene in the Chicago area.