CHICAGO (April 29, 2024) - On behalf of the Board of Directors of Haven Chicago, after over a decade of championing and emboldening visionary and next-generation artists, it is with sadness that we announce that Haven Chicago will be ceasing operations as a producing organization at the end of the current season. We are also filled with immense joy and celebration to be completing our time with a true full-circle final production, with a new take on Haven's very first show, Hedwig & The Angry Inch, directed by an alumnus of the very first Director's Haven, JD Caudill.

We want to thank each and every artist, audience member, patron and participant who came through, cheered with us, cried with us, sang and danced with us and joined us in uplifting our vision of what live art, storytelling and community can be. We have stood on your belief and passion, and are forever grateful to you. Additionally, thanks to an outpouring of support within the Chicago creative community, we are actively exploring options for continuing our flagship artist-development program, the Director's Haven, which has served to platform and showcase emerging directors at the very earliest moments of their professional journeys since 2015.

Artistic Director Ian Damont Martin, an alumnus of Director's Haven, shares: “As I reflect on my time with Haven, I am humbled by the growth, challenges, and triumphs we’ve experienced. Transitioning from a director in the Director’s Haven 3 cohort to the role of Artistic Director has been a profound learning experience—one filled with resilience, creativity, and service leadership. Throughout my tenure, I’ve had the privilege of working with and supporting incredibly talented artists, technicians, and administrators, all dedicated to bringing innovative performances to Chicago audiences.

“Navigating the complexities of a global pandemic and evolving social, political, financial, and aesthetic landscapes has reinforced the importance of adaptability and community engagement in our field. It has been a gratifying opportunity to not only lead but to also learn and serve, aspiring to foster a culture of inclusion, innovation, and artistic excellence.

“With Haven’s formal closing, as I step into a new chapter, I am excited to refocus my creative work and launch an entrepreneurial practice. I look forward to finding new ways to collaborate with emerging talent and discover new pathways to artistic innovation and excellence. I am immensely grateful to everyone who has crossed paths with me during my time at Haven, and I look forward to the future with optimism, enthusiasm, and newfound clarity.”

Executive Director Angela Salinas adds: “I am honored to have been a part of this exceptional organization and want to thank our community for supporting our mission of bringing equitable arts to Chicago. This season marked my sixth year as Haven’s Executive Director. Over the past six years, I have worked with incredible artists that have not only inspired me to grow as a leader, but challenged me to reflect on who I am, my core values and most importantly, taught me how I can create change in my community. For those of you who have watched our shows, attended our events, and supported our Gala’s, I hope that Haven has also done its part to inspire you as well.

“We hope that the stories that we told at Haven will continue to start a dialogue and maybe reflect some parts in your own life. We strived to bring you art that sometimes carried hard truths, brought you laughter, or just inspired you to become a drag queen. No matter what the impact, we hope that Haven will always hold a place in your heart. Leading a company like Haven has been a dream come true and far beyond what I ever felt I could accomplish. But that’s what its all about right? Theatre is built on hopes and dreams.

“At Haven we hope everyone felt safe to be their authentic self and express themselves openly and transparently. We hope we gave space and voices to those who are traditionally left out of

conversation. We hope that during our time here at Haven we mentored and gave opportunity to the next generation of artists. And lastly I hope that you felt at home the way I always did.

“Haven will always carry a special place in my heart. I am proud to say that under mine and Ians leadership we hired 48% POC. A statistic that I hope impacts The Chicago theatre community the way this community has impacted me. I am honored to have served you these past six years. This home took a risk on me, giving me my first real leadership role in theatre, and supported me when I didn’t think I could ever be good enough. I say with the deepest of gratitude: Thank You.”

When Founder and Board President Carol Cohen first welcomed me to Haven, I asked myself what makes Haven unique within our community? What can? How can we meet the challenge of our own name, and be a Haven for process, provocation, discovery and play? And with Carol's boundless support and blessing, Haven became a beautiful experiment in finding ways to challenge expectation, disrupt 'the way it's been done' and support the future of our industry to the best of our ability. I'm beyond proud of what we've accomplished, including the conception and launch of the Director's Haven, itself an initiative aimed at disrupting the conventional - and often cutthroat and dismissive - pathways of forming a directing career when just starting out. It likewise fills me with joy that the artists who have been a part of our story - from Isaac Gómez to Young Jean Lee, Idris Goodwin to Lili-Anne Brown, Monty Cole to Jess McLeod to Marti Lyons and countless more - continue to be formative voices of the present and coming future of the storytelling. Nurturing the future has always been our calling, one it has been a privilege to pursue. And to quote one of my all-time favorite plays, Failure: A Love Story by Chicago playwright Philip Dawkins, 'just because something ends, that don’t mean it wasn't a great success.'

Our final production, Hedwig & The Angry Inch, begins previews July 6th, 2024 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622. We invite you to pull the wig down from the shelf and join us in celebrating the adventure that has been Haven Chicago.

Here's to the future.

Josh Sobel
Vice President, Board and Former Artistic Director Haven Chicago