72 East 11th Street was built in 1929 by Holabird & Root and is a a six- story, limestone-clad Art Deco building originally built by the Chicago Women’s Club to house the organization’s meeting rooms, offices and theater. Rich in history, it was the site for rallies in support of women’s voting rights, efforts on behalf of compulsory education laws and fund raising activities for scholarships at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a dormitory for women at the University of Chicago. The building then was occupied by the Women's Army Corps and served as a USO Center. From 1946 until 1974, the building was home to Spertus College before Spertus moved to Michigan Avenue. The 72 East 11th Street building was acquired by Columbia in 1980 from the Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago for use as the school’s Theatre Center, housing a 400-seat theater, classrooms, and space for film and photography studios.
The Emma and Oscar Getz Theatre was named by Emma Getz, the primary donor when the theatre was renovated in the 1980s, who requested it be named in honor of her and her deceased husband jointly. In 2018, Columbia College Chicago renovated the building, led by the architectural firm, Gensler, and the building was renamed the Getz Theatre Center. It is home to four professional stages, a scene shop, stocked costume shop and makeup/prosthetics and lighting labs.
Quick Facts
- Name: Getz Theater
- Address: 62-72 East 11th Street
- Size: 104 feet x 120 feet, 6 stories
- Architect:
- Holabird & Root, 1927-1930
- Original Name: Chicago Women’s Club
- Other Names:
- Jewish Education Building
- 11th Street Theater
- Acquired by College: 1981
- Original Building Type: Club
- Style: Art Deco
Information taken from the 2005 Campus Preservation Plan and college news releases about the 2017 renovation project.
