After more than 40 years in the spotlight, a Hammond theater guild is seeking their next stage as the curtains close on their time in the former First United Methodist Church of Hammond.
On May 14, the Genesius Guild announced they must vacate the building at 6635 Hohman Ave., halting their planned production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
“Due to circumstances out of our control, we are required to move out of First United Methodist Church of Hammond, Indiana, which we have called home for more than 40 years. The building is in the process of being sold and we have learned we only have a few months until we need to be out,” the announcement said.
However, Genesius Guild President Antoinette Gomez said this does not mean they have made their final bow.
“We’re trying to carry on the legacy of all of our original founding members, most of which have passed away,” Gomez said. “I can say that legacy that they started 42 years ago will stay alive. I have no doubt that it will. It’ll just be in a different home.”
Empty grocery stores, abandoned schools and even a defunct strip club have been among the properties that have surfaced in the search for a new home, board members said.
“We saw that for sale and it’s like, oh, well, that’s the wrong kind of stage,” Genesius Guild Board Member Amanda King said of the vacant gentleman’s club near a Hammond expressway.
However, the members are still keeping an open mind as they continue their search.
“We’re not picky,” King said. “We will turn anything into a theater.”
Gomez said life has been a scramble since a month and a half ago, when they were informed they must vacate the building by August. In the meantime, the crew has been parsing out set pieces, props and costumes for safekeeping until a new home is found.
It’s not uncommon to happen upon dismembered body parts and bloody clothes when packing, especially with past productions like “Sweeney Todd.”
The guild began in 1982 as a part of the summer vacation bible school inside the First United Methodist Church in Hammond. The group’s name was created in reverence to Saint Genesius, the patron saint of actors. Over the years, the guild expanded to include talent from the wider community across Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland.
In 2025, the First United Methodist Church merged with Woodmar United Methodist Church. Today, the church congregations now worship as Hope United Methodist Church at 7320 Northcote Ave. in Hammond.
When the congregation moved to the Woodmar UMC location, it kept the building in use for the theater, a food pantry, rental space and other activities. The building’s potential sale loomed as a possibility but hope still remained, King said.
“In the last two years, we’ve been dealing with not knowing if the building is going to get sold or not going to get sold,” King said. “There was a lot of back and forth. So, honestly, we were floating in I-don’t-know-where-we-are land, which is a very bad place to be. We’ve had to cancel our season, but are kind of hopefully talking about having one last hurrah, if we can. If we can’t, then maybe once we reestablish in a new home, we’ll have a big welcoming back.”
Gomez said in an attempt to stay in their current spot, the guild had the building appraised and made an offer, but the church declined it.
“I think the most hurtful part of the process is that we were founded in that building by seven original members that were part of the church.… And almost 43 years later, it’s not even given a second thought, you know? It’s their business to protect their business, and we understand that, but it’s just been very, very hard to find a place in Hammond that is suitable, that is not completely run down, where we would be able to put a theater in,” Gomez said. “But then to also be able to subsequently give a space to those other groups that depended upon us for a performance space for so many years. So you’ve got multiple nonprofits now that are kind of scrambling to figure out what they’re going to do about the space that they usually use.”
Gomez said the search has been disheartening, with their hopes of staying in the city of Hammond beginning to wane.
“We’re a non-profit,” Gomez said. “We fully rely on donations, ticket sales and patrons who support us. I’m currently in conversation with the city of Whiting in regards to the possibility of a space. It’s very old; it’s actually uninhabitable at the moment, but there may be grants available. There’s not a whole lot of super positive options that are out there. But there’s still lots of inquiries out there, too.”
Rev. Jim Denton, pastor of Hope United Methodist Church, said the former First United Methodist Church building on Hohman Avenue was listed for sale in February 2026. He said as of today, no formal offers have been received on the property.
“For more than 40 years, the First UMC building on Hohman Avenue housed lively productions that engaged and inspired our community,” Denton said. “When the First and Woodmar United Methodist Churches made the decision to consolidate, our congregation was truly heartbroken to have to end many of our ministries at the Hohman Avenue building. While we are sad to no longer be able to provide a home for the Genesius Guild, know that our congregation will continue to pray for the ministry and support its productions with our attendance.”
From its transformation into a pirate ship to an enchanted forest, the stage has seen countless musicals and plays. For Angel Noelle, of Bradley, Illinois, a performer and crew member, the true reward has been watching real life unfold backstage.
“I think Genesius Guild has mostly impacted the community of people who perform there,” said Noelle, a Genesius Guild board member. “…There’s people who’ve met, fallen in love with, and gotten engaged on that stage. There’s people who were pregnant on that stage, who’ve met their best friends on that stage, who’ve made lasting lifelong connections. Obviously, the privilege of getting to see a show is always a beautiful thing, but to me, the true privilege is getting to see how people’s lives have changed for the better because they were a part of a Genesius Guild show.”
Noelle has acted in “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Disaster,” “Into the Woods,” and more during her time in the guild. Traditionally, the guild has hosted five productions per year, and each production takes about 20 to 50 individuals.
Jay-Lan Halliburton, of Gary, a performer, said the Genesius Guild provided an open door for people to explore theater for the first time – whether they are on stage, backstage or in the audience.
“It’s a platform for local artists to showcase their talents, where anyone who wants to be involved can be involved in the arts. Here, people can learn how to work backstage – which is just as important as being on stage, and learn without being judged,” Halliburton said. “And it’s also a place where people can come enjoy quality productions closer to home. Not everyone is able to go to the city to see a performance, and to be able to afford tickets is also very important. It also allows you to connect with people all around the region. People from all cities and towns come to audition.”
Lisa Sowa-Downs, of Hegewisch, Illinois, said her son’s lifelong passion for performance arts began with the Genesius Guild.
“Our family has been involved with the guild since my son was seven, and he’s 31 now,” she said. “He started by going to the summer theater camp, and then he got bit by the theater bug, and from there, he did lots of different plays. He ended up going on to Northwestern and got a theater degree and he has his own theater company now in the northwest side of Chicago.”
Sowa-Downs said the love of the theater has spread to the rest of her family as she, her youngest son and her husband have all played a role in Genesius Guild productions through the years.
“It’s a very big loss to the community, I think,” Sowa-Downs said. “And it seems like a loss, like, you know, like a piece of history is now gone. We made a lot of lifelong friends by participating at the Guild.”
Currently, a GoFundMe is open to help raise funds for the guild’s pursuit of a new home. The Genesius Guild can be reached by calling or texting the box office at 219-501-8228 or by emailing genesiusguildtheatre@gmail.com.
“I would say to the guild, please don’t lose hope,” Halliburton said. “This situation is not a setback. What’s ahead and what’s in store for you is going to be bigger than this situation now. So while it may look like hope is lost, the blessing that’s going to come out on the other side of this is going to be much bigger and much better…. Know that things are gonna be alright, and there is definitely a bright future ahead. I’m praying for you guys as much as possible.”
Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
