Theater Wit has decided that what Chicago storefront companies most need is access to 99-seat houses. So they’re splitting their new venue at the old Bailiwick space at 1229 W. Belmont into three 99-seat theatres. And they’ve announced three companies that will share those spaces with them. Stage Left, Shattered Globe, and Bohemian Theatre Ensemble have agreed to become resident theatres in the space, with their seasons tentatively set to begin next spring.

“We had looked at a building plan that would have given us four 50-seat theatres, but I thought the market had more than enough of those,” says Jeremy Wechsler, Theater Wit ’s artistic director, who will act as landlord to the three other theatres. “The plan was to allow companies that were straining at the seams to move up who couldn’t afford the Theatre Building or the Greenhouse.”

Of the three spaces, two are proscenium and one is a flex-use space. Wechsler notes that they sacrificed office, shop, and rehearsal room in order to accommodate the larger theatres and “monetize the space,” but he says that the company has an option on a space next door that could be used for office and rehearsal purposes. The resident companies already have access to their own rehearsal spaces, and Bohemian Theatre has indicated that they will hang onto their Rogers Park venue—the Heartland Studio—as a rehearsal and rental facility.

With $1.2 million in the bank and the long arduous process of getting the appropriate permits from the city in place apparently behind them, Theater Wit plans to start the build-out by the end of July. Wechsler says that confusion over whether or not the space was legally allowed to be a theatre, despite Bailiwick’s 13-year tenure there, did set them back by about six weeks. (Bailiwick did have a PPA license.)

The resident companies offer a good mix of missions. As implied by the name, Theater Wit is known for focusing on comedic plays, ranging from Will Eno’s bleak Beckettian monologue Thom Pain (based on nothing) to annual holiday presentations of David Sedaris’ The Santaland Diaries. Bohemian produces a mix of musicals (in recent years, they’ve used the Theatre Building for their tuners) and classics. Shattered Globe focuses mostly on contemporary and American classics, and Stage Left, the oldest of the group at 28, has dedicated itself for the past several years to plays with a sociopolitical bent.

Laura Blegen, the managing director for Stage Left, says, “It will actually be really interesting to see how we work with different companies with different missions that are still intriguing to us. I think the dialogue between the companies can be that much more interesting.” Stage Left plans to vacate its longtime Lakeview home, but Blegen is happy that they can move away from the crowded heart of Wrigleyville to a new home still within walking distance of their old digs.

Wechsler anticipates that the companies will get together in early fall to begin planning the 2010-11 season. “Obviously, we have to account for the fact that we have four companies and three spaces. Everyone should be able to get a fall slot, a winter slot, and a spring or summer slot,” though he also notes that the summer slots may be more likely to go to outside rentals, rather than the resident companies. Wechsler also indicates that one of the advantages for going with resident companies rather than straight rentals, particularly with the track records established by his three new partners, is that there is some assurance of quality across the board.

“People do identify the work with the building they see it in. So part of [doing the resident companies] was trying to find groups that would give an interesting mix of materials.”

In addition to having lower rents than would be charged at similar-sized venues, Wechsler says that the companies will benefit by coordinating marketing plans and sharing mailing lists. Companies can also volunteer their time (in the box office, for example) and trade that work in place of rent for one-off events such as benefits. A flex-pass program will also encourage patrons to check out all the work across the resident companies.

“I wanted to create the best and largest storefront experience that I could afford to make,” says Wechsler. To that end, the venue will include a wine and coffee bar in the lobby. “The audiences in Chicago want adventure and a sense of personal connection—not just to the plays, but to the people in the companies. Some of my best experiences growing up were at the old Organic on Clark and the old Steppenwolf on Halsted. The people serving your drinks and ripping your tickets were the working artists. In the smaller storefronts, it’s hard to hang out because the lobby is four-by-seven. Now we can figure out how to get people to stay in the building.”