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Metropolis director was a Second City producer, also Glencoe trustee

New Metropolis Performing Arts Centre Executive Director Joe Keefe said Friday he wants the Arlington Heights theater to become a “greenhouse” for the development of original productions — just one idea he has to make the financially struggling venue sustainable.

Keefe, 56, takes the helm at Metropolis officially Jan. 1, but has already been getting settled into his new role at the downtown Arlington Heights theater. His hiring was announced Thursday after a search that attracted more than 40 candidates from across the Midwest.

Keefe said original productions at Metropolis would run the gamut of theater, comedy and music, and build upon the facility's existing school of performing arts that involves actors, musicians, playwrights and directors. He hopes to create children's and seniors' shows, and performances dedicated to history.

One concept in development for next spring is an original production, “Drinking with General Grant,” to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.

Metropolis Board President Tom O'Rourke said Keefe's goal to connect the school and theater was “appealing” to Metropolis' board of directors, which was tasked with picking a new executive director after the departure of Charlie Beck in May.

Neil Scheufler, Metropolis' former special events manager, has been serving as the acting executive director since Beck departed.

While creating a host of Metropolis-branded shows is a long-term goal, Keefe says his focus now is continuing the current “excellent” programming that he believes can compete with any theater in the Chicago area.

He's also focused on putting strong financial policies in place to “maximize the value” of Metropolis.

Keefe, a veteran of Chicago's Second City, brings a varied background to the job. He has been a producer and actor in the Chicago theater community, helping to cultivate talent such as Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch. He's a ghostwriter of some 25 books including historical fiction, nonfiction and memoirs, and the script writer of a dozen television pilots.

But he also was a Glencoe village trustee for eight years, which he says was a meaningful experience in understanding budgetary matters.

Keefe said he told Metropolis board members during interviews, “If someone were to write a job description for me, this would be it. For me, it's kind of a dream job.”

O'Rourke said board members thought it might be difficult to find someone who was both a “business person” and an “arts person.”

“Several (candidates) brought the combination of business and financial expertise, as well as artistic direction,” O'Rourke said. “Joe stood out.”

From 1983 to 2001 Keefe was founder and executive producer of Second City Communications, the production arm of The Second City Theaters. The company produces shows for fundraising events and business conferences, Keefe said.

He said he and one of his closest associates, the legendary Second City founder Bernie Sahlins, would discuss what it is to be a theater producer: “To keep the doors open, keep the lights on, and find resources to support the artistic work.”

“(The artists) need me to establish financial policies so firm and reliable, they don't have to worry about net profit anymore,” Keefe said. “I'll do that.”

Metropolis has struggled to keep its doors open, relying heavily on subsidies from the village, which owns a portion of the Metropolis building at 111 W. Campbell St. The Arlington Heights village board gave the theater $450,000 that allowed it to pay its debts and stay open through April 2015.

Keefe says not only will he report to Metropolis' board of directors, but he also plans to report to the village board and the Metropolis oversight committee established this fall by Mayor Tom Hayes.

Details of Keefe's contract, such as salary and benefits, weren't available, since it is still being finalized, but O'Rourke said it would soon be provided to village officials.

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