", Amy Leslie was much more enthusiastic about the Forbes-Robertson Company's productions of Shakespeare in 1914, reporting that the opening performance of Hamlet was "symmetrical, perfectly balanced and exquisitely harmonious throughout.". The situation changed after Flanagan sent George Kondolf, a young New York producer, to become the Federal Theatre's director for Chicago. The theatre has been saved and it is probably one of the most beautiful in the country and I will continue to be involved in fundraising for The Theatre School student scholarship fund. Founded in 1919 in New York, the Guild decided in 1928 to enlarge its playing company and present subscription series in Chicago and five other cities. Of the event, Richard Christiansen of the Chicago Tribune wrote: "Having physically saved and improved the Blackstone DePaul also has made sure that the theatre's artistic content is at a high level for the reopening.". The Merle Reskin Theatre. A real estate entrepreneur who developed and named the city of Glendale Heights, Harold Reskin is also an avid polo player and the founder and owner of the Glendale Polo Club. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php Dorothy and DuBose Heyward's Porgy, with an all-black cast, was scheduled for two weeks, but was held over for seven. The Blackstone Theatre in Chicago was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in 1992. Pronunciation of Merle Reskin with and more for Merle Reskin. By the 1980s Chicago was recognized as "the hottest theatre town in America. [7], The Blackstone was managed by Harry J. But they had borrowed to finance the purchase of the land under the hotel and theatre in 1927, and they were unable to meet the mortgage payments to the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, which foreclosed in 1932. Originally named the Blackstone Theatre it was built in 1910. Harold and I believe the theatre dedication is symbolic of our ongoing zest for life.". The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. * 5 is the Birth Month #450 During 1958 Midland Enterprises, operated by Charles and Harold Reskin, bought two farms on Glen Ellyn Road north of North Avenue. Celebrity How Calculates Merle Reskin Popularity Based on Wiki page views and also our internal Page view count. Hallie Flanagan reported later that two attempts at experimental plays early in the first season had to be abandoned because of censorship. [3] In addition to The Theatre School, the building is also used by other arts organizations. Line: 107 I would sing Jewish songs for the elderly in Jewish homes during the holidays and sing Christmas songs at Children's Memorial Hospital and Cook County Hospital.". does keto diet change your ph balance. Playgoer's hoped to become "a permanent organization for the professional production of plays, with the avowed purpose of restoring the confidence of the Chicago theatre-going public by taking it out of the hands of the second-string road companies with cast-off productions which have been its fate for the last few years." Son of Charles G. Reskin and Belle Reskin In March of 1989, Moliere's The Misanthrope directed by David William marked "the opening of the Blackstone Theatre for the second time." During the early 1930s theatres that presented live drama were reeling as a result of both the introduction of talkies in 1928 and the stock market crash of 1929. The Blackstone Theatre was located on the southern edge of the theatre district, but even there the potential audience was large because there were so many other theatres, restaurantsand cabarets scattered throughout the downtown area. Merle Reskin had spent five years as a professional actress, portraying Ensign Janet MacGregor in South Pacific on Broadway and appearing with Etta Moten. Reviewing the company's "nightly scraps with Shakespeare," Leslie wrote that "everything physical creaks and everything spiritual fumes and everything emotional sags in these unhappy exhibitions. Since that time, the beloved theatre has served as the training ground for students of The Theatre School at DePaul University. Soon after, Merle became a member of the Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity and AFTRA. Evelyn Muskal, 92, who volunteered for many years to benefit children and the poor and who was the mother of Chicago singer and actress Merle Reskin, died of heart failure Friday, Oct. 13, in . We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in 1992, it is now part of DePaul University, and is also used for events and performances of other groups. Business Operations Manager; kchris26@depaul.edu; View Bio; Dean Corrin. When the total number of productions dropped to 21 in 1935-36, Charles Collins feared that the legitimate stage in Chicago might soon "become totally extinct.". Starring Percy Waram and Lillian Gish, the Chicago production opened in February 1940, and eventually ran for 66 weeks, establishing a record as the longest-running production in the city's history. [1] The building of the Blackstone Theatre directly resulted in the shuttering of an older, nearby theatre, the Olympia. Function: view, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/controllers/Main.php In 1969 the Body Politic and Organic Theatre opened, and Goodman Theatre became a professional organization. Support Us Contact In 1982 Second City Productions presented the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival's mammoth production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, adapted by David Edgar from Charles Dickens' novel. [2] Seating capacity was 1,400 people until 1988, when renovations to reinstate the orchestra pit and to create seating for handicapped persons reduced the seat count to 1,325. Constructed only seven years after the Iroquois Theater Fire, the theater was required to be fireproof and the management claimed the auditorium could be cleared in three minutes. There were still some successful productions at the Blackstone Theatre. After the war ended and more consumer goods became available again, people spent more of their disposable income on houses, automobilesand major appliances. The new theatre would feature the productions of Charles Frohman, who would operate the theatre jointly with impresarios Klaw & Erlanger; the three had incorporated under the name "Blackstone Theatre Company" (which was part of their larger Theatrical Syndicate, formed in 1896). ", Merle describes Harold as "quietly philanthropic." The Theatre School began officially performing in the Blackstone on March 21, 1989, with a production of The Misanthrope by Molire. merle reskin biotraffic signal warrant analysis example. The following year, Buddy Ebsen starred in "Good Night Ladies! The Blackstone continued to bring well-known stars to Chicago during the 1920s. Mason. Deborah Kerr appeared in 1955 in Elia Kazan's production of Robert Anderson's Tea and Sympathy, and Chicago Sun-Times critic Herman Kogan wrote that the ovation was the kind that audiences "reserve for a really rare performance that shines in every facet like a gem." From 1942 through 1945, the theatre was run by Slavin Amusement Company. She would much rather be talking aboutmyriadthings ratherthan herself, but she must because her husband, Harold, has bestowed an enormous honor upon her: the gift of a theatre in her name. In 1946 the Chicago Sun reported that the Blackstone Theatre Corporation had bid $40,000 at a foreclosure sale to buy back the Blackstone Theatre, but had lost out to "unidentified Eastern interests" who bid $50,000. The auditorium's indirect ceiling lighting was supplemented by lights (set in gold-colored sconces and muted by silk shades) along the side walls. I was also performing on television during the 1948-49 school year. O'Neill's Mourning Becomes Electra at the Blackstone in 1932 was considered "an event of the first magnitude," but it was the only Theatre Guild production to appear in Chicago that season. As with the hotel, the theatre took its name from Timothy Blackstone, whose mansion had previously occupied the site. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in Rosemont Park Cemetery, 6758 W. Addison St. This category has only the following subcategory. Frank Barnes Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Cameron Bender Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Terry Dexter Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Jack Goldenberg Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Dylan Gelula Age, Height, Weight, Husband, Net Worth & Bio, Jasmeet Singh Bhatia (Actor) Age, Height, Weight, Net Worth & Bio, Hayden Christensen Age, Height, Weight, ex-Girlfriend, Net Worth and Bio, Pooja Hegde (Actress) Age, Height,Net Worth & Bio, Priyanka Chopra Age, Height, Weight, Boyfriend, Salary, Net Worth & Bio, Unsolved Mysteries season 1 review Netflixs, Merle Reskin educated at MEDICAL CAREER & TECHNICAL COLLEGE. Harold Washington Library Center "Even if he doesn't feel well himself, he's there because he feels it's important for these kids to ride. This rose to 235 weeks in 1942-43 and 329 weeks in 1945-46. Around the same time, a renaissance in Chicago theatre was taking place on the city's north side.[3]. Genealogy for Harold A. Reskin (1929 - 1996) family tree on Geni, with over 230 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. long island high school colors and mascots. Report Here Merle Reskin (American actress and sponsor of the arts) Merle Reskin is a popular United States of America American actress and sponsor of the arts who is most renowned for his actor. Initially it was leased and operated by Charles Frohman, Marc Klaw, and Abraham L. Erlanger, who soon formed the Blackstone Theatre Company with themselves serving as directors. Line: 478 Theoni V. Aldredge (GSD) designed the costumes for Clothes for a Summer Hotel as well as for Cactus Flower and You Know I Can't Hear When the Water's Running, both in 1968. '", "By the time I was fifteen I was singing arias. The following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. She gave up her career upon marrying Reskin in 1955; however, she spent thirty years as the Midwest Regional Auditioner for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. (312) 362-8000. Hers was an artistic one, filled with warmth, intellect andlaughter, and it was bursting with the sound of music. Every Saturday I sang on the WPIX-TV Joe Bolton Open House, a variety show for young performers. Merle Reskin age is around 33,as Merle Reskin was born on the 12th of May, 1986 in NA. Husband of Private I was up for a part in the movie Marty. At this time, the Shubert Organization decided it was time to divest itself of all Chicago theatres except for the Shubert Theatre on Monroe Street. DePaul University's Theatre School was founded as the Goodman School of Drama in 1925. Function: _error_handler, Message: Invalid argument supplied for foreach(), File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php The architects who designed the new theatre in 1910 were Benjamin Marshall and Charles Fox of the firm Marshall and Fox, who also designed the adjacent Blackstone Hotel in 1909. The lobby was finished in French walnut and gold, with a box office at the western end. As a result, attendance at theatres declined during the 1950s and 1960s. The historic Blackstone Theatre is renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre, following receipt of a gift in excess of $2 million from Harold Reskin to rename the theater in honor of his wife, Merle. "[3] And during periods of time when there was no play being performed, the Blackstone opened its doors to events sponsored by civic and fraternal organizations such as the Elks or Chicago's University Club. The stage is to be patterned on that of the New Amsterdam Theatre in this city [New York]"[5] The Chicago Tribune also announced the up-coming event, and in a front-page story, the newspaper elaborated on what the Times had reported. Special Collections and Preservation Division Talk:Merle Reskin Theatre/GA2. View Bio; Kumari Christiansen. [3], At the end of 1930, it was announced that the Blackstone Theatre Company was terminating its lease. By the fall of 1988 The Theatre School had invested $1,000,000 in renovations to the Blackstone Theatre and began its production schedule of more than 200 performances annually. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Richard Bennett played the role of a profligate man who contracted the disease and then married a young woman without informing her of his condition. Associate Dean, Interim Head of Theatre Arts; dcorrin@depaul.edu; View Bio; . Meanwhile, the Blackstone Theatre was dark throughout 1987. Alumni of The Theatre School and Goodman School of Drama who have graced the stage of the Blackstone include Geraldine Page (GSD '45) in Separate Tables in 1958, Sweet Bird of Youth in 1960 and Clothes for a Summer Hotel in 1980. 2350 N. Kenmore Ave. Playwright George Ade, who spoke at the gala premiere of his new play, U.S. Minister Bedloe, predicted that the Blackstone would become the home of the best American plays, and (in many ways) it did! Find Merle Reskin Theatre stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. [3] With the rise of other forms of entertainment, such as television, attendance at live theaters declined and the Shubert Organization scaled back the Blackstone's season from 28 weeks to as few as 14 weeks each year. "I sang for W.A.I.F, an organization for orphans founded by Jane Russell after World War II. [4] Their father, John Drake (1826-1895) had been a business partner of Blackstone's. critical healing and metal spirit daruma hibachi menu merle reskin bio. [20], When the Shubert Organization decided to divest the majority of its Chicago theatres, the Blackstone Theatre building was offered to DePaul University. The Blackstone Theatre's program for opening night asserted that the theatre was "equipped with every modern device for safety and comfort, and it is believed to be the safest and most substantial theatrical structure in existence." The Goodman School of Drama was founded in 1925. [18], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}415224N 873731W / 41.8733N 87.6253W / 41.8733; -87.6253, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php And Maude Adams appeared in her last major role in 1918 as a starving waif who took care of some war orphans in James M. Barrie's A Kiss for Cinderella. Blanche Bates portrayed a heroine who shot her drunken brute of a husband in The Witness for the Defense, by A.E.W. John T. Richardson, C.M. How to say Merle Reskin in English? It had last been used in 1986 when the National Theatre of Great Britain performed there as part of the first International Theatre Festival. The Theatre School > About > Faculty & Staff > Administration, 2350 N. Racine Ave. Chicago, IL 60614Administration: (773) 325-7917Admissions: (773) 325-7999Box Office: (773) 325-7900theatreadmissions@depaul.edu, 60 E. Balbo Ave. Chicago, IL 60605Box Office: (773) 325-7900theatreboxoffice@depaul.edu. "[11] But while some of these productions were the equal of the version that played in New York, Tribune theatre critic Hammond observed on several occasions that the Chicago companies lacked the biggest stars. Although seasons at the Blackstone now included more dark nights than evenings with performances, many good plays were offered there from 1965 to 1985. I didn't get it, but the item appeared in Kup's column and the William Morris Agency signed me because of it." The Theatre School began officially performing in the Blackstone on March 21, 1989, with a production of The Misanthrope by Molire. After The Art Institute of Chicago decided to discontinue the Goodman School in 1978, it was taken over by DePaul. John T. Richardson C.M., president of DePaul University, said, "It gives me great pleasure to say that during its 80th anniversary year, the Blackstone Theatre is alive and well and busier than ever!" [15] And keeping up with the times, some of the performances from the stage of the Blackstone were heard on Chicago-area radio station WTAS, thanks to station owner Charles Erbstein, who thought it was a good idea to use the theatre for live broadcasts, and began doing so in early 1925. Subcategories. Some of the actors who graced the stage of the Blackstone include William Gillette, Ethel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Helen Hayes, Ruth Gordon, Katharine Cornell, Cornelia Otis Skinner, and Spencer Tracy. Later that year Fr. DePaul's historic Merle Reskin Theatre is located at 60 E. Balbo Drive and has been a neighborhood landmark in Chicagos South Loop since 1910. , 2350 N. Racine Ave. Chicago, IL 60614Administration: (773) 325-7917Admissions: (773) 325-7999Box Office: (773) 325-7900theatreadmissions@depaul.edu, 60 E. Balbo Ave. Chicago, IL 60605Box Office: (773) 325-7900theatreboxoffice@depaul.edu. Can you list the top facts and stats about Merle Reskin Theatre? The Merle Reskin Theatre was built in 1910 and acquired by DePaul in 1988. 60 E. Balbo Ave. Chicago, IL 60605 Box Office: (773) 325-7900 theatreboxoffice@depaul.edu. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php In 1985 it was renamed The Theatre School. In the late 1920s the Theatre Guild selected the Blackstone Theatre as a home for its touring productions. After a week of performances by the Abbey Theatre Players from Dublin in 1935, no more professional touring productions appeared at the Blackstone until 1941. Rehearsals of Meyer Levin's Model Tenement, concerning housing problems that culminated in a rent strike, were halted after higher administrators in the W.P.A. Renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in 1992, it is now part of DePaul University, and is also used for events and performances of other groups. On that occasion Amy Leslie reported that the audience called Adams back repeatedly for curtain calls in "a kind of hysterical ovation.". You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. funeral tributes wairarapa. Under the direction of F.R. Mrs. Patrick Campbell, then nearly 50, portrayed the young Eliza Doolittle in the London premiere of Pygmalion that same year and in the American tour the following year. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences . In 1940, the theater was rented by Oscar Sertin, who staged "Life with Father" starring Lillian Gish, which opened in February and ran for more than a year. "Fr. 400 S. State St., 9th floor James McEachin was born on May 20, 1930 in Rennert, North Carolina. Merle Reskin had spent five years as a professional actress, portraying Ensign Janet MacGregor in South Pacific on Broadway and appearing with Etta Moten. [19] Alumni include Gillian Anderson, John C. Reilly, Scott Ellis, Joe Mantegna, Theoni V. Aldredge, Karl Malden, Michael Rooker, Elizabeth Perkins, Judy Greer and Eugene Lee. The Blackstone Theatre was then controlled by a trust. The Federal Theatre Project, established by the Works Progress Administration in 1935, leased the Blackstone and the Great Northern theatres for its rehearsals and performances in Chicago. The following year, Buddy Ebsen starred in "Good Night Ladies! Productions with long runs included Willard Mack's The Dove, a melodrama based on a story by Gerald Beaumont presented by David Belasco (21 weeks); Kenyon Nicholson's The Barker (22 weeks); and George M. Cohan's Elmer the Great, based on RingLardner's You Know Me, Al stories (14 weeks). Merle Reskin was born on 11/20/1929 and is 92 years old. * 33 is AGE #807 merle reskin bio. The International Theatre Festival, several of Chicago's dance companies and other arts organizations also use the theatre. junio 29, 2022 junio 29, 2022 given n=734 your function should return 743 on merle reskin bio junio 29, 2022 given n=734 your function should return 743 on merle reskin bio The theater has a history of live performances that have often been touring productions of hit and prize-winning shows. Playbills indicate that the Slavin Amusement Company operated the Blackstone Theatre from early 1942 to mid-1945, followed by the Blackstone Theatre Company, which in 1948 was succeeded by the "Messrs. [2] Seating capacity was 1,400 people until 1988, when renovations to reinstate the orchestra pit and to create seating for handicapped persons reduced the seat count to 1,325. The building is six stories tall and built in a French Renaissance style. After The Best Plays restored a brief section on Chicago in 1963 in "The Season Around the United States," critic Glenna Syse wrote that "Chicago is scorned as a pre-Broadway stop for tryouts. From 1942 through 1945, the theatre was run by Slavin Amusement Company. But Hallie Flanagan, national director of the Federal Theatre Project, dismissed the plays as "nothing but new heights of old hokum." [6] The Blackstone Theatre officially opened on December 31, 1910, with the premiere of a Chicago playwright George Ade's newest play "U.S. Minister Bedloe. Anna Pavlova in 1916 and Louis N. Parker's "Disraeli. A "blast system" of ventilation was supposed to change the air every three minutes. Function: require_once, Message: Undefined variable: user_membership, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php Chicago Public Library Theatre in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Merle's priorities changed when she met Harold Reskin. * 12 is the BirthDay #472. Merle Reskin is a popular United States of America American actress and sponsor of the arts who is most renowned for his actor. mollymauk tealeaf tattoos; how far does a secondary wave travel in 10 minutes; flights from pakistan to usa cancelled For the 1986-87 season, the League of Chicago Theatres reported that its 125 members had presented 12,500 performances of 950 productions; and that attendance at professional theatres had reached 2,730,000. Current faculty member Nan Cibula-Jenkins designed the costumes for that production. Although her professional career ended, she went on to work on charity boards and continued to make television commercials. [1] The original address was on Hubbard Court,[1][2] which was later renamed Seventh Street, and renamed once again to East Balbo Drive, the current name. Not yet content he took time away from acting to become an award-winning author and maker of audio books. In 1992, due to the magnanimous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Harold Reskin, the Blackstone Theatre enjoyed yet another rebirth as the MERLE RESKIN THEATRE. [6] The Blackstone Theatre officially opened on December 31, 1910, with the premiere of a Chicago playwright George Ade's newest play "U.S. Minister Bedloe. [3], The developers of both the Blackstone Hotel and Blackstone Theatre were Tracy C. Drake and John Drake, better known as developers and proprietors of the Drake Hotel. I did two years of summer stock at Chevy Chase Theatre in Wheeling, where Betsy Palmer was my roommate. Among them were the performances of the Stratford-upon-Avon Players. ", which ran for 100 weeks. Please enable scripts and reload this page. After leaving the military he spent time as a policeman and then fireman before moving to California and becoming a record producer. [16], Because the Blackstone Theatre was a touring theatre, many actors appeared there who would not have otherwise had that opportunity if the venue had specialized in new productions. The theater has a history of live performances that have often been touring productions of hit and prize-winning shows. Merle also sang for charitable organizations. The Theatre School > About > Facilities > Merle Reskin Theatre. The organization disappeared by the next season. She would much rather be talking about myriad things rather than herself, but she must because her husband, Harold, has bestowed an enormous honor upon her: the gift of a theatre in her name. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. The Merle Reskin Theatre is a performing arts venue located in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois. The Blackstone Theatre suffered with the rest, although there were bright moments. Each year The Theatre School presents the Chicago Playworks series as well as The Theatre School Showcase, which both run throughout the academic year at the Merle Reskin Theatre. June 25, 2019 vj1wm Actor, age-33, birthdate-12, birthMonth-5, birthyear-1986, NA Wrong Info? The theater has a history of live performances that have often been touring productions of hit and prize-winning shows. It joined DePaul University in 1978,[18] and was renamed The Theatre School at DePaul University in 1985. It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences series produced by The Theatre School of DePaul. Line: 68 It serves as the home of the Chicago Playworks for Families and Young Audiences series produced by The Theatre School of DePaul. "Harold gave the money so that the theatre would continue to exist and The Theatre School students would have a place to perform. In 1928, she married her husband, Morris, who was in the grocery business. Presented under the auspices of the American Federation for Sex Hygiene and the American Vigilance Association, the play attracted an opening-night audience filled with welfare and settlement-house workers. Using the "Living Newspaper" format introduced by the Federal Theatre, the play dramatized the dangers of syphilis, a subject explored two decades earlier in Damaged Goods. Both the Blackstone Hotel and the theatre serve as an example of Beaux-Arts architecture. Evelyn Muskal, 92, who volunteered for many years to benefit children and the poor and who was the mother of Chicago singer and actress Merle Reskin, died of heart failure Friday, Oct. 13, in Whitehall North nursing home in Deerfield, where she lived. Minnie Maddern Fiske, after the dissolution of the Theatrical Syndicate, appeared as an elocution teacher who answered a matrimonial advertisement among the Pennsylvania Dutch in Erstwhile Susan (1917) and as George Sand in Madame Sand (1918). The Blackstone Hotel and Theatre were named after Timothy B. Blackstone, an early Chicago businessman who was one of the first directors of the Union Stock Yards and a partner of hotel magnate John Burroughs Drake, owner of the Tremont House and the Grand Pacific Hotel. how to block calls on jitterbug smartphone. Although the play was successful, after four weeks it left Chicago for New York City. what were the three promises god made to abraham quizlet; rutherford county register of deeds; krystal coach wiring diagram; ben polson youtube; back houses for rent in newport beach, ca This magnanimous gift came about through Harold's friendship with DePaul University president the Rev. On July 13 the court declared the village organized, and the first election was held on August 2. Unfortunately, Chicago Tribune critic Claudia Cassidy reported, it opened on a "scalding August night" and "Wilting wags maintained that the air conditioning consisted of J.J. Shubert blowing on two ice cubes." Please enable scripts and reload this page. Though incorporated as Glendale, the name was changed to Glendale Heights in March 1960, because there was another Glendale, in southern Illinois. Founder and owner of the Glendale Polo Club, Illinois. Genc Schram, 2 and, to Washngton, hc sold. Sundgaard's play was highly praised by the medical profession and the press. The Merle Reskin Theatre was built in 1910 andacquired by DePaul in 1988. Line: 479 When Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne came to the Blackstone for their farewell appearance in 1960, Cassidy reported that "no shoehorn could have squeezed more customers into the Blackstone for the painfully short three weeks allotted The Visit, by Swiss playwright Friedrich Duerrenmatt. At the end of 1930 Mitchell Erlanger and Harry Powers terminated their lease. Members of the theatre community in Chicago are delighted that this use by DePaul enables Chicago to save an important theatre. Under the direction of F.R. [4] Their father, John Drake (1826-1895) had been a business partner of Blackstone's. [20], When the Shubert Organization decided to divest the majority of its Chicago theatres, the Blackstone Theatre building was offered to DePaul University. The rise of the Shubert Brothers helped break the syndicate's power; it dissolved in 1916. I sang and acted in more than a dozen 'Studio One' productions. Formerly the Blackstone Theatre, it was renamed the Merle Reskin Theatre in late 1992 following receipt of a gift in excess of $2 million from Harold Reskin, spouse of former actress Merle, for whom the theatreis now named.