The Den Theatre

I love places like this. Intimate, experimental, and interesting!

Had the best night watching «New Country» the Mark Roberts play in production now. Best I’ve seen in a long time — tremendous acting, really well balanced in every sense — just the right amount of laughter and tension and thought provoking insights. Don’t miss it! The 80 minute production flies by and left me figuring out when i can see it again.

I’ve been to a few productions here now and it amazes me how much they can change the set to suit the needs of the show. No matter what the configuration may be, the audience seating is always very intimate and close to the action.
They have a full bar in front too that’s decorated like an old-​school smoking lounge for you and your friends to relax before the show. Once a show starts though they stop serving drinks.

Have seen many productions at the theatre complex. I have never been disappointed. Just had the pleasure of seeing London Wall starring Vanessa Greenway & other talented actors. Thoroughly enjoyable & recommendable. Don’t miss it

This place is absolute shit. First they don’t post the correct address on the net. And if you are delayed because of their posting of the incorrect address they don’t let you enter.
Simple recommendation– please correct the address which shows up when you look this hole in the wall up. And learn to accept your mistakes and let people enter.

Saw the red line show choir perform here a few months ago. This place is a bit scary and very deceiving from the outside. There’s a wonderful world inside and up the stairs. The bar and lounge areas were the highlights. The bathroom lines and lack of legroom in the theatres were the downfalls.

Driving by during the day I thought this was one of the abandoned storefronts or discount furniture stores that’s constantly having a liquidation sale in this area on Milwaukee. I’m happy I finally realized it’s not. I came and saw H.M.S. Pinafore towards the end of the run, after Pirates of Penzance was snowed out by the massive blizzard. The show was excellent, comprehensible, well-​sung, and really fun, with The Hypcrites’ unique approach — the boat set was lightly adhered to with various pieces of furniture, but the theme was slumber parties, with pajama costumes and bunk beds. The «promenade» approach seemed bizarre for the first 30 minutes or so, but works SO well with the space and the cast. It’s super fun as an audience member to start the show sitting on the top bunk of a bed where the cast joins you, then move to center stage, then move to a platform at the top of a slide leading to the pillow pit. It made more sense than my description can convey. Two of our party were less comfortable, so after having a sheet waved at them vigorously just before intermission they moved to a more recessed spot where they could watch without finding themselves in the spotlight. The music was great, the singing and playing well done, and the interpretation of the original totally worked.
Also, it’s more than just a theater. The anteroom to the theater is a cool coffee house slash bar that feels like a weird old aunt’s living room, with seriously upholstered furniture and paintings everywhere. They have a great looking collection of board games that seem to be available for the borrowing, from Taboo to the Game of Thrones strategy game. Wow.

What a good time!!! The talent and tutelage of Dina Facklis makes this theater a must-​see Chicago event. We went as a small group and had dinner in the hood, then drinks at The Den’s bar, then roared with laughter during the first improv group, and then roared even harder for the closing group. Everything about The Den feels just right. Intimate and unexpected laughs await. SUPER inexpensive way to spend a Saturday night. As the saying goes… «Run, don’t walk to The Den Theater».

Always up to do «different» artsy things, I found cheap tickets to The Living Canvas (a live nude art show) via Hit Tix. I’ve passed by this part of Milwaukee Ave 500xs and never even knew The Den existed, much less what to expect from naked art.
Walking into The Den, it seems like you’re going to your rich friend’s house that wants to keep their hipster roots intact. A huge wooden stairway greets you at the entrance with the box office on 2^nd floor. A couple steps away, an über spacious living room area surrounds a cute little bar. Drinks are mega cheap ($ 5 for vodka soda, $ 2 pbr) and there’s tons of comfy couches with magazines, fireplace, even a macbook? Yup. There’s 2 different stages and the one we went to was through another room that had a kitchen with an adjacent den. Can I live here, plz? We walked into a tiny stage area with a huge carpet. This stage probably seats 50 max. it’s quite intimate.
I’m not gonna give the show away but it was f’amazing. Way different than anything I’ve ever seen and a really cool production for such a small theater. I hear this show travels and visits annually, so I will mark my calendar for next year’s return.
We chilled in the bar area after the show for an extra drink and were not rushed to leave in any way. I’m told by friends we bumped into that there’s always a great caliber show at The Den. Another reason to return!

In the arena of chicago venues that help support big dreams with small budgets, The Den Theatre is kicking ass.
2 two single seater unisex loos are appropriate for the space. Just off the bar with choice selections of cocktales and other little snacks to help silence the body noises during the shows.
$ 5 craft beers, $ 6 mixed drinks and $ 1 redcup fiilled with popcorn
The seats and theatre space is close to the action and intimate without being too small and stuffy.
The stairs to the venue are not as friendly to those with gravity issues. So prepare accordingly and do some leg lunge workouts at least a week prior to attending to help avoid the cramps from 1 flight of stairs to an evening of funsploration of the mind of a writer who can spell words for others to read and act upon.

What a great spot! The upstairs is so intimate and charming. There are couches, a bar (complete with coffee/​espresso/​beer/​liquor and oh my god the best popcorn ever), and a burning fire place. The staff, especially behind the bar, were extremely friendly. We saw «At His Best» and our eyes were glued the whole time. Seriously good acting! Well done, Den Theatre. We will be back. I only hope this place stays as charming as it is now. Only reason for not receiving 5 stars is that seating ended up being a little difficult and a lot of people were stuck having to move around last minute to accommodate. Thanks for giving us a great date night!

This was a great spot. Its an old home that has been made into a theater space. You need to be looking for it to actually see it. We walked past it while looking for the address. I went here to watch the all female production of BEAST WOMEN 2013. It was so much fun!

The Den Theater, its décor and its locale, is reminiscent of what a speakeasy would have been during the Prohibition Era. Tucked away and almost easy to miss the main entrance adds to its allure and mystery.
Upstairs is where the creative spaces are for independent theater troupes to showcase their craft to audiences waiting to watch. The main lobby mirrors a comfortable den almost set-​like from a scene of a western with its full service bar at the corner and an almost famous singer belting out show tunes with a piano accompaniment.
Truly a fun place from the independent plays there to the whole ambience of grabbing a drink afterwards. The owner is a friendly young artist/​entrepreneur with a passion for chance and possibilities. Check this place out. The prices are fair and the experience will be memorable.

Since I wrote my review, I have one more thing to add. There are a few coveted parking spaces on Paulina, but stay away from the space just in front of the fire hydrant. The meter reader likes to ticket you even if you’re clearly outside the yellow paint on the curb. I know of two people who got tickets there, myself included. Take pictures of your rear bumper in relationship to the yellow paint so you have proof you’re legal. I contested my ticket and won, thanks to those pictures.

Very nice small and inconspicous theater. Went to see «My Asian Mother» which was incredibly thoughtful, was easy to relate to (not being Asian), and emotional.
The waiting area was nicely air conditioned, comfortable seating with chairs and couches and a descently stocked bar.
Drinks were reasonably priced and tasted great and they didn’t hold back on the pour.
I would definitely come here to view another play, I highly recommend it.

this is a comment about the play, City of Dreadful Night, as well as the Den Theater.
The four young talents in this play do an A-​1 job of setting the mood and engaging the viewer. Very strong acting on each part for such a young troupe. You will enjoy this story.
The theater is really ¾ theater groups occupying the second floor of 1333 Milwaukee. If you are in the area, stop in for a play. If you are not in the mood for a play, stop in anyway for a great place to sit, enjoy some old time Life magazines (many of them 65 years old and in pristine condition. Be gentle) and comfortable chairs and some reasonable drinks. My guess is you will not be disappointed!

Saw «My Asian Mom» at The Den Theater the night of 7÷6÷2012.
This is NOT a review of the play. The play was pretty good. This is a review of the theater space.
+ Intimate seating. The theater holds less than 100 people.
+ Café/​bar on the lobby area.
+ Washrooms are clean (However, co-​ed. 2 separate toilettes, a guy or girl can use it.)
+ Cheap. $ 15 for the show. Can’t beat that. Been to the more expensive theaters paying over $ 100 for performances but then again, those are the ones in the «theater row» downtown like The Cadillac Theater, etc.
— Not handicap accessible. As soon as you enter, you are greeted with a flight of stairs. I looked for a ramp or elevator. Didn’t see one.
— Entrance to the theater is a «blink and you’ll miss it» kinda thing. Look for a door with a maroon awning. That’s it. Sharp eagle eyes needed for this mission.
— NO AIR CONDITIONING! I am not sure if it was just for the night we were at the theater or if this is the norm at The Den. There was a guest who fainted coz of heat exhaustion while everyone was at the lobby/​bar/​café.

As a patron: It’s a beautiful space that makes one feel at home. It helps that the theater is a loft space, but don’t think that means it’s accommodations are less than professional. Seating is spacious, the lobby is spacious, restrooms are clean, and there’s even a full café that serves beer and snacks as well.
As a theater producer: It’s a beautiful space that is much larger than you expect. There is not only a main stage, but now The Den has opened a black box stage and rehearsal space on the same floor with more and more upgrades happening everyday. You wouldn’t believe how much has been done to this space in such a short period of time. Also, working with Ryan Martin and the Den Theatre staff is a pleasure, they’re accessible and (I love this) available to offer their help.

Fantastic new loft theater run by artistic director Ryan Martin! The space is beautiful, with a lovely, welcoming lobby and an intimate performance space. The Den is about to close it’s inaugural production (William Inge’s «Bus Stop»), which I have seen twice. The set was beautiful and the acting superb!

In a neighborhood full of performing arts venues, this one is hard to find. No signage on the door, only an address and large green door welcome you to this gem. Climbing up a flight of stairs, I wasn’t sure I was in the right place, but once to the 2^nd floor, I opened the door into a cozy lobby that, no surprise here, looked like someone’s den. Soft, comfy sofas invited us to take a seat, while a large dining table offered somewhere to sit and enjoy a drink and some cookies. We had such a great time relaxing and chatting, no one was sitting in the first come, first choose seats!
The performance of The Bus Stop was superb. Roles seemingly written for their actors. Amazing cast and crew, I cant wait to go back.