San Jose Repertory Theatre facts for kids
Former home of San Jose Repertory
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| Address | 101 Paseo de San Antonio San Jose, California United States |
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| Type | regional theatre |
| Capacity | 584 |
| Opened | 1980 (company) 1997 (building) |
| Closed | June 2014 |
The San Jose Repertory Theatre (a.k.a. San Jose Rep) was the first professional theatre company in San Jose, California. It was started in 1980 by James P. Reber. The San Jose Rep grew to be the biggest professional theater group in the South Bay. It faced financial problems in 2006, but the city of San Jose helped it out.
On June 11, 2014, the San Jose Rep closed down due to financial difficulties. The building where it performed reopened in 2015 as the Hammer Theatre. This theater is now run by San Jose State University.
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History of San Jose Rep
How It Started
The San Jose Rep was founded by James P. Reber in 1980. It was first called the San Jose Repertory Company. James Reber grew up in the Santa Clara Valley. He came back home after working for the Berkeley Shakespeare Festival.
The Rep quickly became one of the fastest-growing regional theaters in the country. Mr. Reber led a group of talented artists and staff. Their first play was Private Lives by Noël Coward. They put on three more plays in 1981.
Early help came from the City of San Jose. They gave money and helped create a board of trustees. This board helped guide the young theater group. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation also gave an important early grant. This money helped them hire professional staff.
One important goal for the Rep was to pay fair wages to its actors and staff. David Lemos became the first production manager and later artistic director. He helped the company work with the Actors' Union. Many of their early plays were very good and received great reviews.
Famous Early Plays
Some of the most well-known plays from the early years of San Jose Rep include:
- A fun version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. It was set during World War II. Charles Martinet, who later became famous as the voice of Mario for Nintendo, was in this play.
- Large shows done with the San Jose Symphony. These were called the Merrill Lynch Great Performances. They were held in the big San Jose Center for Performing Arts. One show was The Tempest. Another was Amadeus, which featured singers from Opera San Jose.
- A play called Execution of Justice. This play told the story of a sad event in San Francisco. It was a team effort with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and the Eureka Theatre.
- The first American showing of Ken Jenkin's play, "007 Crossfire."
- "Translations" by Irish writer Brian Friel in 1986.
- A show of "Swan Lake" with the San Jose/Cleveland Ballet company in 1987.
Many talented people who worked at San Jose Rep in its early days went on to do great things. These include James Houghton, who started a unique theater company in New York City. Richard Rodgers became a director at Juilliard, a famous arts school. James Bundy became the artistic director of Yale Repertory Theater.
The Timothy Near Era
Timothy Near became the artistic director in 1987. She wanted the theater to put on plays that connected with San Jose's diverse community. The Rep did this by performing new versions of classic plays and developing new works.
In 1997, the company moved into a new building called the Sobrato Auditorium. This building was made just for the Rep. It was in downtown San Jose. Having their own space meant they could put on more kinds of shows. They could also make them with very high artistic and technical quality. Since moving, the Rep asked writers to create new plays. They also put on plays for the first time in the world, in the U.S., and on the West Coast.
Timothy Near wanted to reach all the different people in San Jose. She showed this by opening the new theater with Thunder Knocking on the Door. This play was by African American writer Keith Glover. It had music made just for the Rep by Michael Butler and local blues musician Chris Cain.
Famous actors also performed at the Rep. In 2001, Holly Hunter was in By the Bog of Cats. In 2002, Lynn Redgrave appeared in The Mandrake Root.
For its 25th anniversary, the company asked Craig Bohmler and Mary Bracken Phillips to create a musical. This musical was called The Haunting of Winchester. It was about Sarah Winchester and her famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. The musical first showed in 2005.
The Rick Lombardo Era
After Timothy Near left, Rick Lombardo became the artistic director in 2009. He joined the company when it was having money troubles. Lombardo had worked at another theater in Boston for 13 years. He was known for bringing in younger and more diverse audiences.
Some important projects under Rick Lombardo's leadership were:
- The first-ever stage version of The Kite Runner (play). This play won an award for Outstanding Production. It has since been performed in many other places around the world.
- The first West Coast showing of Anupama Chandrasekhar's play "Disconnect."
- A new rock musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. This musical was created by Lombardo, Kirsten Brandt, and Haddon Kime. After showing in San Jose in 2013, it was chosen for a festival in New York City in 2014.
- The first West Coast showing of Melinda Lopez's play "Sonia Flew."
- The first-ever showing of Jonathan Marc Feldman's "Death of the Novel." This play starred Vincent Kartheiser from the TV show Mad Men.
In June 2014, the San Jose Repertory Theatre's board decided to close the theater. Rick Lombardo was rehearsing a new play at the time. He said that the closing felt like a great loss.
Theater Buildings
The Rep first performed at the Montgomery Theatre. This theater had over 500 seats and was owned by the City of San Jose. The dream of having their own theater came true in 1997. They moved to their new home, the Sobrato Auditorium, which was a few blocks away.
After the Rep closed, the building became the Susan and Phil Hammer Theatre Center. It was named after a former mayor and her husband. They helped a lot to get the theater built. The theater has three seating areas and can hold 584 people.
See also
