Arts + Public Life's Green Line Performing Arts Center is a vital theater venue and rehearsal space that supports the arts across Chicago’s South Side. The Green Line Performing Arts Center supports artistic expression and community gathering while strengthening the cultural and economic life of Washington Park. The center expands access to professional theater on Chicago’s South Side by supporting local artists and ensembles and providing pathways into theater design and production.

Designed by Morris Architects Planners in collaboration with Theaster Gates, the Green Line Performing Arts Center strengthens the Arts Block, a growing collection of cultural and commercial spaces along historic Garfield Boulevard in Washington Park. The high-tech facility lives within four renovated storefronts with a deep entertainment history, from jazz clubs and live-orchestra restaurants to the legendary Rhumboogie nightclub owned by Joe Louis.

At 6,600 square feet, the center includes the E&A Theatre, a black box venue with seating for more than 80 people; the Harris Studio, a separate rehearsal and performance space; Bergman Family Green Room, DelGiorno Lobby, and an outdoor courtyard for public programs and exhibitions including outdoor film screenings.

Green Line Performing Arts Center offers professional training opportunities and employment pathways for residents of Washington Park and the greater South Side through stipend-based training in technical theater, including sound, lighting, and scenic design, and front-of-house and back-of-house management.

By the first anniversary of Green Line Performing Arts Center’s opening APL had hosted over 7,000 attendees at 80 programs and events. 51 of those engagements were produced by APL and 29 by community arts organizations or independent artists.