Theater companies we were sorriest to see go

1. Apple Tree Theatre. The well-loved Highland Park troupe didn’t survive the January 2009 death of its founder, Eileen Boevers; the theater announced its demise in September.
2. Defiant Theatre. With its founding members moving on to other cities or starting families, this edgy 13-year-old ensemble decided in 2004 to fade away rather than grow old.
3. Famous Door Theatre. The small 18-year-old company that spawned triumphs like Ghetto, Beautiful Thing and the ten-year run of Hellcab called it quits in 2005.
4. Goat Island. After 20 years, the influential performance collective made 2008’s The Lastmaker its ninth and final piece.
5. PAC/edge. The promising three-year-old festival of local performance shut down along with its 46-year-old parent organization, Performing Arts Chicago, in 2005.
6. Roadworks Productions. The well-regarded ensemble abruptly went kaput in 2004, canceling an already-rehearsing production.
7. Uma Productions. Founded as tongue-twisting Umalleniay by recent Northwestern grads in 2001, Uma put up killer productions of contemporary works like The Violet Hour and Recent Tragic Events before folding in 2007.