Berkeley Repertory Theatre facts for kids
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| Address | 2025 Addison Street Berkeley, California United States |
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| Coordinates | 37°52′16.06″N 122°16′9.47″W / 37.8711278°N 122.2692972°W |
| Public transit |  Downtown Berkeley |
| Type | Regional theater |
| Capacity | Thrust Stage: 401 Roda Theatre: 600 |
| Opened | 1968 (company) 1980: Thrust Stage 2001: Roda Theatre |
The Berkeley Repertory Theatre is a famous theater company located in Berkeley, California. It's known for putting on seven different plays each year. These shows happen on its two stages in Downtown Berkeley.
Contents
A Look at Berkeley Rep's History
Starting a Professional Theater
The Berkeley Rep company began in 1968. It was the first professional theater in the East Bay area. Michael Leibert was the first artistic director. Later, Sharon Ott took over in 1984. The theater won a special award, the Regional Theatre Tony Award, in 1997. This award recognizes excellent regional theaters in the United States.
Growing with New Stages and Schools
In 2001, Berkeley Rep added a new building. This was the Roda Theatre, which can seat 600 people. It's right next to their first stage, which holds 400 people. The same year, they also opened the Berkeley Rep School of Theatre. This school teaches people of all ages about theater.
The current Artistic Director is Johanna Pfaelzer. She started in September 2019. Tom Parrish became the General Manager in 2022.
Amazing Plays and New Works
Berkeley Rep puts on many different kinds of plays. They show classic modern plays, like Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. They also feature newer plays, often showing them for the first time on the West Coast. Some of these include The Laramie Project and Homebody/Kabul. They even put on brand new plays for the very first time anywhere in the world!
Over the last ten years, Berkeley Rep has shown many new plays by talented writers. Some of these plays have even moved from Berkeley to Broadway in New York City. For example, Bridge & Tunnel won a Tony Award after being staged at Berkeley Rep. Also, the musical Passing Strange started here before becoming a hit on Broadway in 2008.
Supporting New Talent
Berkeley Rep loves to help create new plays. They have a special program called The Ground Floor. This program helps artists develop new stories and shows. They also have a year-long Fellowship Program. This program trains young people who want to work in theater. It helps them become the next generation of theater professionals.
Learning at the School of Theatre
The Berkeley Rep School of Theatre opened in 2001. It offers classes for all ages and skill levels. You can learn about acting, directing, and other theater skills. The school also works with local teachers. It provides special programs for students in the community.
A cool part of the school is the Teen Council. This group is for high school students who love theater. The Teen Council is famous for its annual Teen One Acts Festival. Students write, direct, produce, and act in all the plays themselves!
Big Broadway Hits from Berkeley Rep
In 2009, Berkeley Rep started its season with a musical called American Idiot. This show was based on the Green Day rock album. It was so popular that it ran for much longer than planned. Later, American Idiot moved to Broadway in New York City in 2010.
Another huge success was the musical Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. This musical tells the story of the famous Motown group, The Temptations. It started at Berkeley Rep in 2018. The show was a massive hit and made the most money of any production in the theater's history! After its run in Berkeley, it also moved to Broadway in 2019.
New Plays Premiered at Berkeley Rep
Berkeley Rep is known for premiering many new plays. Here are some of the notable ones that first appeared on their stages:
- 1994 - The Woman Warrior
- 1995 - Ballad of Yachiyo
- 1998 - Hydriotaphia
- 2006 - Passing Strange
- 2009 - American Idiot
- 2015 - Amélie, A New Musical
- 2017 - Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
- 2018 - Fairview
- 2020 - Swept Away
See also
- American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco
- Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley, California
- San Jose Repertory Theatre
- TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, California
- San Francisco Playhouse, San Francisco, California
- Aurora Theatre (Berkeley)
