A HOME FOR THE IMAGINATION
By Albert Greenberg
Many of you know by now, that we are undergoing the greatest change in our eighteen-year history.
We Now Own Our Own Theatre.
That does not mean that we will be the "Sedentary Jewish Theatre." It does mean that we are going to be realizing a wide range of goals that have been a part of our long-range planning for many years. We will be able to foster the original work of other like-minded artists who would otherwise have no place to present their work. This will include writers, musicians, poets and, of course, other ensemble theatres. We will also begin to bring children into the theatre and formulate an apprentice program with the goal of bringing younger actors into the company as permanent ensemble members.
Next season we will inaugurate this phase with the presentation of a new work by Bay Area artists Ruth Zaporah and Leonard Pitt. We will also produce a series of Jewish short story readings and a music series with émigré musicians. In addition, we will have a special Hanukkah program in which children will be invited to give away toys for homeless children.
Along with the programming goals, we have some serious capital improvement plans for the theatre. Presently, you enter the theatre by way of a long hallway inside the mixed-use Project Artaud. In the next three years, we plan to put in our own outside entrance on Florida Street next door to Theater Artaud.
We will also create a lobby, install an air-conditioning system and provide the amenities that will make our theatre the most audience-friendly intimate theatre in the city. We have already put in the foundations of a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. This means that lighting and sound designers will be able to create visually and sonically complex works. With KQED around the corner and restaurants popping up everywhere, we couldn't have picked a better time to open a theatre South of Market.
The arts are under attack in every direction and, yet, we find ourselves in a unique position to move forward in new and challenging ways. We hope that you are ready to move with us and, in so doing, enjoy what promises to be a very exciting future.