The entity that was known for 27 years as Bailiwick Repertory is no more—but Bailiwick Chicago , officially launched on Nov. 9 with a party at Sopo Lounge and Grill on Southport, hopes to stick around for a while.

Executive director Kevin Mayes, who took over from Bailiwick Repertory artistic director David Zak in September, came on board as the company, says Mayes, “was on its last legs financially and was having some pretty serious problems trying to figure out how to get out.” Mayes, who has been an actor and director with Bailiwick Repertory and has a background in web development and start-up companies, had accepted Zak’s invitation to “give it a go and resuscitate the organization. What made the most sense was to shut down the previous organization and start a new one, Bailiwick Chicago .”

But in some ways, the new Bailiwick has echoes of the first days of the old Bailiwick. Mayes describes the new organization as “a collective,” and that’s what Zak and other directors, including Kyle Donnelly and Kate Harris (later artistic director of now-defunct Pyewacket) had in mind when they started the company. The emphasis on directors came through most clearly over the years with Bailiwick’s annual directors festival, which began in 1988, though over time most artists and patrons recognized Bailiwick for its dedication to GLBT programming through the annual Pride Series and for its commitment to musicals, both new (2003’s Dr. Sex, about Alfred Kinsley) and revived (2006’s Jeff-winning Kiss of the Spiderwoman).

The collective for Bailiwick Chicago includes Deanna Cox (events coordinator), Michael Dunbar (technical director), Scott Ferguson (artistic advisory liaison), Kate Garassino (general manager), Kathleen Gibson (events coordinator), Jay Kennedy (production manager), Ryan Lanning (artistic associate liaison), Eric Martin (marketing), Julie Burt Nichols (grants/development), Robert Ollis (board development) and Julie Partyka (grants/development). David M. Adler serves as the president of the new board, and an artistic advisory council has been selected, comprised of longtime Bailiwick collaborators Alanda Coon, Brenda Didier, Cecilie Keenan, Paul Lisnek, Tom Mullen and Zak.

Like Mayes, none of the members of the collective are getting paid for their efforts in jumpstarting the new version of Bailiwick. Mayes acknowledges that arts management is a new game for him, but he points to his professional work as the head of web strategy for Aon and with other small start-ups as experience that will help get Bailiwick rolling again.

As for the meaning of the term “collective,” Mayes says, “We’re using that to show a greater sense of ownership and responsibility, whereas an ensemble connotes more of a sense that ‘we’re artists and we’re here to make great arts.’ This group is responsible for both operations and the artistic development.”

With the new collective also comes a re-tooled mission statement: “We tell stories that stimulate our audience and celebrate our diverse community, enhancing our understanding of ourselves and others.”

In practical terms, this means partnering with other arts organizations and nonprofits from different communities. “We want GLBT to be a part of what we do, but we also want to tell the kinds of stories that we haven’t in the past,” says Mayes. “There are theatre companies that are doing some great work in storytelling from a Muslim or Arab perspective, or people who are telling stories about African cultures that aren’t African-American.”

Musicals, however, will also remain a critical part of the new Bailiwick’s programming. Currently, the plans for 2010 call for presenting a benefit musical revue in February—“something that quickly engages our artistic associates and that wouldn’t require months of preparation,” says Mayes. “It’s an outlet for the artists and a way for us to get out there quickly.”

From there, Bailiwick plans to move on to workshopping an original play in March, workshopping an original musical in April, offering a benefit performance of a gay-themed play in May, and then moving into a full production of a yet-to-be-named musical in the summer, which will most likely be directed by Zak.

Bailiwick gave up its longtime space on West Belmont last year, and has since produced at Mary’s Attic, upstairs from Hamburger Mary’s in Andersonville, and at the Center on Halsted. Staying put in Boys’ Town isn’t necessarily a priority for the new Bailiwick. Says Mayes, “We’re looking at lots of different options for venues. Every project we do this first season will be in a different neighborhood in a different kind of space. One will be at the Center on Halsted. We’re looking to do the revue at Mary’s Attic, because it worked so well this summer for Bombs Away!”

In addition to the collective, Mayes and his new collaborators plan to re-establish an artistic associates program for new and emerging theatre artists, who will be named in January.

As for Zak, he sounds delighted to be stepping away from the day-to-day headaches of a company whose financial situation was often fraught, even as its artistic profile remained high. (Mayes says that there are “a handful of legal and financial things that are waiting to be closed out for the official closing of the books” on Bailiwick Repertory.)

“The trend in nonprofits everywhere is the founders’ syndrome, when the original leaders step away and things sometimes fall apart,” says Zak. “I love the new mission statement. The new ideas about so many different possibilities are the ones we were thinking about when we gave up our space.”

But Zak also hopes that the old Bailiwick fans will stick with the company as it moves ahead. “I was at the kick-off party [at Sopo] and it was wall-to-wall. On the other hand, someone at the party said in my ear, ‘Don’t forget us old people and people who have been connected to you for the last 30 years.’”

Bailiwick Chicago hosts a benefit Sunday, December 13, 6-9 p.m. at LaSalle Power Company, 500 N. LaSalle. Tickets are $125-$175 and can be ordered online at www.bailiwickchicago.com