Studebaker Theater

The Studebaker opened in 1898 inside Chicago's Fine Arts Building and returned to full operation after a restoration that had to add a complete modern production infrastructure without disturbing the ornamental envelope that makes the room worth restoring.

Main and center arrays were integrated at the proscenium, technical positions were rebuilt at the balcony and in a new control room, and the systems were tuned to hold intelligibility for spoken-word broadcast as readily as amplified music. The completed rooms now carry everything from theatrical runs to live public-radio tapings.