The Skokie Theatre's Biggest Fall Night Belongs to Its Students

The Skokie Theatre at 7924 Lincoln Ave. reopened on Oct. 8 with a touring one-man show about Lenny Bruce. The longest day on its fall calendar comes about six and a half weeks later, and no touring act is on the bill. On Sunday, Nov. 22, the 150-seat house will hold three back-to-back showcases. Every performer will be someone who signed up for a class there this month.

The new owners are two couples, Chris and Monica Matsakis and José Pablo and Kristi Cantillo. The Record North Shore reported that they bought the building on June 29 for $875,000. They described a broad plan: comedy nights, music, film screenings, art classes, magic shows, one-act plays and private events. So far, the October calendar leans toward the plan's most local pieces.

Three Showcases, One Sunday

Each of the theater's three fall classes ends with a performance on Nov. 22. They're scheduled so a person could stay for all three.

The storytelling workshop had its first session tonight, Oct. 12. The comedy class meets for the first time tomorrow. The improv class is billed for all levels and doesn't start until Oct. 19. It skips Nov. 9, so its four sessions are spread across five weeks. All three classes cost roughly the same, $210 to $225. Each one ends with a public performance on the same stage where the touring acts appeared this month.

The showcases run from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. That's the longest stretch of programming on any single day of the published fall calendar. No other listing in October or November fills an afternoon and evening in a row.

The October Shows Are Built on the Same Scale

The rest of the calendar follows the same pattern. Most of the October lineup is cabaret, storytelling and comedy at prices that read like a neighborhood night out, not a downtown Chicago ticket.

• Wednesday, Oct. 14: "Menopause Matters with Dr. Rachel Bergen," 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., $25. "Hot Flashes & Fierce Tales" follows at 7 p.m. and had already sold out by reopening week.
• Friday, Oct. 16: Roxy Bellows Live!, accompanied by Laura Hall, 8 to 10 p.m., $25.
• Saturday, Oct. 17: "Cougarland Comedy: Four Seasoned Comics & A Funny Cub," 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., $20.
• Wednesday, Oct. 21: "The Creation of 'Singin' in the Rain'" with Charles Troy, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., $20. It's a multimedia presentation, not a screening of the film.
• Friday, Oct. 23: The Johnny Burgin Blues Revue, the fifth annual Skokie Blues Revue, with Noah Wotherspoon, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 general admission or $100 VIP.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: C&C Dueling Pianos, 8 to 10:30 p.m., $8.
• Thursday, Oct. 29: "Leave it to Geezers: Comedy with a Wrinkle," 7 to 8:30 p.m., $25.
• Friday, Oct. 30: "Monsters of Memoir: Personal Stories From Cinema's Greatest Ghouls, Fiends & Villains," 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., $22.

Monsters of Memoir is the theater's Halloween-week show. The captured events listing has nothing on Oct. 31 itself. For a costumed outing that week, the Skokie Park District's Kooky Spooky Candy Trail runs Oct. 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Oakton Park, 4701 Oakton St. Children ages 2 to 13 need tickets, and the event moves into the Oakton Community Center if the weather turns.

Ticket prices on the October shows run from $8 for the dueling pianos to $30 for the blues revue's general admission. Only the $100 VIP blues ticket goes past that. Either way, the cost is on the scale of dinner downtown.

The Stage Is Open to Pitches, Too

The classes are one way onto the stage. Pitching a show is another. Darcy Wood is a Skokie resident and a member of the vocal trio The Lovettes. In The Record's reopening coverage, she said she appreciates being able to perform in a local venue. Wood also runs a small talent agency, and she said being able to pitch shows to the theater helps a small business owner like her.

The people running the room are mostly familiar ones. José "Joe" Pablo Cantillo is a professional actor. The Record reported that he calls the owners' approach "continuity of care," which in part means keeping staff who have helped run the theater for years. At the ribbon-cutting, Mayor Ann Tennes thanked the owners for "the extraordinary hard work and investment that you're making into Skokie."

A Building That Has Changed Roles Before

Live performance is the building's second career. Sources disagree on when it started. The Record cites Emily England, manager of the Skokie Heritage Museum, who says Samuel Meyer built the Niles Center Theatre in 1915. The Art Deco facade still on Lincoln Avenue dates to a 1942 renovation, and the building later took the Skokie Theatre name. Patch's 2025 history gives the opening year as 1912. Patch says the movie theater closed in 2004 for lack of business. It reopened in 2006 for live performances after a $1.5 million renovation.

Cinema Treasures lists earlier names, including Center Theatre and Gorilla Tango Skokie Theatre. By its timeline, Gorilla Tango ran the building from April 2012 and MadKap took over in 2015. The Record dates Wendy Kaplan's MadKap Productions era to 2014. In 2025, Patch reported that Kaplan planned to retire.

The seat count has changed over the years. Patch put it at 140, Cinema Treasures lists 148, and The Record describes today's venue as 150 seats.

Getting There, and Where to Eat First

According to the Downtown Skokie visitor page, downtown parking is free. Public lots are at 8024 Lincoln Ave., at Village Hall at 5127 Oakton St., and at 7999 Babb Ave. There's also a public lot near 7950 Lincoln, next to Chase Bank, close to the theater's block. In early 2025, the Village described the Babb Avenue and Louise Street lot as free three-hour parking for up to 50 cars. Three hours covers a two-hour show and a short dinner.

For food, the Downtown Skokie dining directory lists several places within the theater's own stretch of Lincoln Avenue:

• Libertad, modern Latin American, at 7931 Lincoln, across from the theater
• The Spot Hot Pot, rotary hot pot, at 7909 Lincoln
• Ascione Bistro Skokie, Italian, at 8006 Lincoln
• Take Flight Spirits, a cocktail bar, at 8038 Lincoln
• Village Inn Pizza, pizza and a bar, at 8050 Lincoln

The directory isn't dated, so call ahead before you build an evening around any one of these. For dessert, Bonbon Bakeshop at 5023 Oakton St. sells cakes, chocolates and gelato. The Record reported that it opened to customers on Jan. 28, 2026.

What Isn't on the Calendar Yet

Some of the summer plans haven't been scheduled. Film screenings were part of the plan in July, but no film nights are posted. The theater's events page shows no standalone shows in November or December, and the next dated listing after the Nov. 22 showcases is a course in February 2027. The new self-serve beer tap in the lobby wasn't working yet on opening day. Chris Matsakis told The Record that "it'll either work or it'll be free."

For now, the clearest date in the theater's future is Sunday, Nov. 22, from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., with neighbors on the stage.

A downtown theater with a full house helps the whole block, from the restaurants on Lincoln Avenue to the homes within walking distance of the marquee. At Allie Payne, we follow what's opening in Skokie because buyers ask us about it. If you live near downtown and wonder how places like The Skokie affect what your home is worth, request a free home valuation and we'll go through the numbers with you.