The Strand Theater, future home of the Glaser Players local acting troupe and other community programming, is now set to open in the first months of 2027.
John Dumas, the leader of the Brookfield Theater Corporation that will operate the Strand Theater, said the Strand is now set to open in January or February 2027 in downtown Brookfield. Dumas said in September that the group was planning to host a ribbon cutting on Dec. 4 and hold its first performances in the space that weekend.
He said the delay of the grand opening is due to changes Brookfield made to its zoning code, which were adopted Oct. 12, that now require the Strand to obtain a special use permit before moving forward.
The group was set to close on downtown properties at 3740 and 3742 Grand Blvd., the former homes of Burger Antics and Prairie Path Vintage Market, in October following the execution of a purchase contract in September, Dumas said, but now cannot close without the special use permit.
“The village was doing their thing, and I applaud them for updating the zoning code,” Dumas told the Landmark. “It was a perfect storm. They were working on this change for a long time, and we were working on our project for a long time, and it just happened that they overlapped.”
In Brookfield, a special use permit is first reviewed by the planning and zoning commission, which gives a recommendation on the permit to the village board following a public hearing at its next monthly meeting. The permit is then discussed by the village board at a committee of the whole meeting before being put to a vote two weeks later at a regular meeting.
Dumas said the additional time before the Strand opens will allow the group to finalize the details of the theater’s financing and that the delay will not impede their efforts.
“We’re not going anywhere. The plans are still the same, but we’re not going to open now until early ’27,” he said. “We’re viewing it as the end of February at the latest … The village has been so great. Even with this, they’re like, ‘What can we do to help you?’ They get it.”
While the Strand’s physical presence won’t take root until next year, its efforts to bring community theater to Brookfield and the surrounding area are full steam ahead. The Glaser Players are in the midst of performing “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare – Abridged & Revised” at St. Paul’s Parish, 60 Akenside Rd., Riverside. The first three performances were held this past weekend, Nov. 6-8, and three more performances are scheduled for next weekend, Nov. 13-15. Tickets are available online.
The Strand is also sponsoring WT Productions’ performance of “Seasonal Bells” the weekends of Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13 at St Paul’s Parish. Before the opening of the Strand was delayed, “Seasonal Bells” was set to be the debut show at the theater. Tickets are also available online.
“St. Paul’s Parish has been tremendous in allowing us to use their space as our home for this fall season. We will be there this weekend, next weekend, and those first two weekends in December, the Christmas show will be there,” Dumas said. “Then, we’re going to take a little break, get ourselves set up in the new place and open there as soon as we can.”
