Chicago storefront theater — new works, solo performance, and bold community storytelling since 1988.
About Live Bait Theater
Live Bait Theater has been a home for bold, original theater-making in Chicago's Wrigleyville neighborhood since 1988. Founded by Artistic Director Sharon Evans, the company produced world premiere works, community-based projects, and celebrated the voices of solo performers for more than two decades.
During its twenty-year history, the theater nurtured storytelling luminaries and emerging artists alike, establishing itself as a vital force in Chicago's independent theater scene. Productions ranged from original plays to solo festivals, earning Jeff Recommendations and Jeff Award nominations along the way.
The Spaces
Mainstage — Our primary performance space seats up to 70 in a proscenium configuration built for full productions and large-ensemble work. The stage measures 24’ × 24’ with a 24’ × 36’ grid overhead.
The Bucket — A flexible black-box space with seating under the grid, ideal for intimate productions, workshops, and experimental work. Seats up to 70 and reconfigures to suit each production.
Both spaces sit at 3914 N Clark Street in the heart of Wrigleyville.
Fillet of Solo
The Fillet of Solo Festival was created in 1995 by Sharon Evans as a showcase for Chicago’s burgeoning solo performance scene. Over thirteen years of Sharon’s curation, the festival helped launch the careers of storytelling luminaries including Jeff Garlin, Jim Carrane, Cheryl Trykv, Marcia Wilkie, Edward Thomas-Herrera, David Kodeski, Susan Karp, Stephanie Shaw, and Tekki Lomnicki — putting the festival on the map as one of Chicago’s defining performance events.
Fillet of Solo has grown beyond its festival roots and is now a weekly show, carrying that tradition forward.
Get in Touch
Artistic Director
Sharon Evans
Executive Director
John Ragir
Theater Address
Live Bait Theater
3914 N Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60613