The Redwood Curtain Theatre is making its way back on stage again.
This time, it’ll be sharing the spotlight with the North Coast Repertory Theater (NCRT) at the newly renamed D Street Theater.
This comes after their former home by the Eureka waterfront was sold back in March.
“We were quite certain that it would not sell rapidly and foolishly did not make plans because real estate had not been selling quickly in eureka,” Redwood Curtain Theatre producing director Nanette Voss said. “However, that waterfront spot is very desirable so it sold in march, so we lost our space.”
The Redwood Curtain Theatre closed its doors in June of this year, leaving the future of its independent theater legacy uncertain.
After a call with NCRT’s Calder Johnson, they decided to combine forces. Both redwood curtain and NCRT are hoping to find new audiences.
“The audiences for theater are aging out, so we have the older community seeing live theater and it’s not promoted as much to the youth so we’re losing people to see it who are younger,” Voss said. “I think that this collaboration will get us all in the same space, we have the same season schedule so we won’t be running shows at the same times, so we won’t be competing.”
The season itself will be a balancing act between what audiences expect from both theater companies.
“So what’s cool is we have three Redwood Curtain Theatre shows that are very much social commentary on our world today and then three NCRT shows that are like feel good, awesome fun shows, that audiences will be like ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve heard of that show, I’m gonna go see it,”‘ Voss said. “Where redwood curtain theater shows are like ‘Oh, I’m super interested in that topic. Like I would love to see a show about it.'”
The first season kicks off on February 9th with the Redwood Curtain’s ‘Hurricane Diane’ set in the world of Greek gods with a guardian sent to seduce and restore earth to its natural ways.
Both companies hope the first season of the D Street Theater will show why local performing arts is still significant in our community.
“What happens on our stage is often a reflection of our own communities. Many of the stories that we are telling, we choose on purpose,” Voss said. “We choose because they are relevant to our communities. Maybe they are giving voice to some people in our community that don’t usually get to be heard.”
The D Street Theater is currently performing a live radio play of the Frank Capra classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
Tickets are on sale now with performances until December 10th.
