Wichita theater will soon have a new, permanent home

On Oct. 5, Forum Theatre Company’s producing artistic director Kathy Page-Hauptman and associate producer Aaron Profit revealed an ambitious plan in front of a small audience of diehard theater fans who gathered inside a vacant building at 141 S. Ellis in Wichita’s Hyde Neighborhood.

Once a pressroom for printing company McCormick-Armstrong, the 14,000 square foot property is distinctly industrial, and project manager Ron Estes (not to be confused with the Kansas congressman) is leaning into that vibe. Farha Construction is handling the transition from an empty building with prominent beams and support poles to a modern, flexible, and, most importantly, permanent home for the Forum.

The cost of the project will be about $825,000, and a $1 million capital campaign is underway. The Forum has raised $200,000 to date, Page-Hauptman said. Details will be available online when the theater launches its new website.

The facade of the building will include large windows and bright lighting. Initial plans include space for an audience of 190, with seats that can be reconfigured to accommodate a variety of staging options, dressing rooms, a catering kitchen, a green room, restroom improvements and a lounge that can be rented for weddings and other events.

Implementation of a two-stage construction plan begins next week, with the goal of completing basic structural needs in February 2026 to the degree that the company can begin a transition season in March, with a production of August Wilson’s “Fences” starring Profit. Phase two of the project is slated for completion in August 2026.

Meanwhile, the Forum will present three Words & Music shows this fall and winter at the Wichita Art Museum.

Since 2016, the Forum had staged productions at First United Methodist Church’s Wilke Center, 330 N. Broadway. The gymnasium converted into a black-box theater held an audience of 123.

“Good times, for sure,” said Page-Hauptman, “but now it’s time for a change.”

This story was first published by The SHOUT, a Wichita-based independent arts and culture newsroom.