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 (also known as San Jose Rep) was the first professional theatre company in San Jose, California. It was started in 1980 by James P. Reber.
By 2008, San Jose Rep became the biggest non-profit, professional theatre company in the South Bay. It had a budget of about $5 million each year. In 2006, the city of San Jose helped the theatre with a loan to keep it going.
Sadly, on June 11, 2014, San Jose Rep closed down. The building reopened in 2015 as the Hammer Theatre. It is now run by San Jose State University.
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History of San Jose Rep
How the Theatre Started
San Jose Rep was founded by James P. Reber in 1980. It was first called 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 theatres 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 on, the City of San Jose's Fine Arts Commission helped with money. They also helped create a strong board of trustees. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation gave an important grant. This money helped the theatre hire professional staff.
One great thing about the Rep was that it paid fair wages. This was a promise Mr. Reber made from the start. David Lemos, a young graduate, became the first production manager. He later became the artistic director. The theatre worked with the Actors' Union (Actors Equity) to make sure actors were paid well.
Famous Early Plays
The San Jose Rep put on many great shows in its early years. Here are some of the most memorable ones:
- A fun version of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. It was set during World War II. It starred John Callahan, who became a TV actor. It also featured Charles Martinet, who later became the voice of Mario for Nintendo!
- Big shows called "Merrill Lynch Great Performances." These were done with the San Jose Symphony. They took place in the huge San Jose Center for Performing Arts. One show was The Tempest with music. Another was Amadeus, which included singers from Opera San Jose.
- A play called Execution of Justice. This play told the story of a famous event in San Francisco. San Jose Rep worked with two other theatres to produce it.
- The first American showing of Ken Jenkin's play, "007 Crossfire."
- "Translations" by Irish writer Brian Friel in 1986.
- A show of "Swan Lake" in 1987. This was a collaboration with the San Jose/Cleveland Ballet company.
Many talented people worked at San Jose Rep in its early days. Some went on to lead famous theatre companies. Others became professors, actors, or even politicians.
The Timothy Near Years
Timothy Near became the artistic director in 1987. She wanted the theatre to put on plays that spoke to San Jose's diverse community. The Rep did this by updating classic plays and creating new ones.
In 1997, the company moved into a new building. It was called the Sobrato Auditorium. This building was made just for the Rep. It was in downtown San Jose. Now, the Rep had more space and could put on even better shows. They could also create new plays.
Timothy Near wanted to reach all the different people in San Jose. So, the first play in the new building was Thunder Knocking on the Door. It was by an African American writer, Keith Glover. It had music created just for the Rep by Michael Butler and local blues musician Chris Cain.
Famous actors also performed at San Jose Rep. In 2001, Holly Hunter acted in By the Bog of Cats. In 2002, Lynn Redgrave was in The Mandrake Root.
For its 25th anniversary, the company asked for a new musical. It was called The Haunting of Winchester. This musical was about Sarah Winchester and her famous Winchester Mystery House in San Jose. It premiered in 2005.
The Rick Lombardo Years
Rick Lombardo became the artistic director in 2009. He came from another theatre in Boston. He was known for bringing in younger and more diverse audiences.
Here are some important projects during Rick Lombardo's time:
- The first-ever stage version of The Kite Runner (play). This play won an award for "Outstanding Production." It has been performed in many other countries too.
- The first West Coast showing of "Disconnect" by Anupama Chandrasekhar.
- A new rock musical version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. This musical was later chosen for a big festival in New York City.
- The first West Coast showing of "Sonia Flew" by Melinda Lopez.
- The first-ever play called "Death of the Novel." It starred Vincent Kartheiser from the TV show Mad Men.
In June 2014, the San Jose Repertory Theatre board decided to close the theatre. Rick Lombardo was rehearsing a new play at the time. He said closing the theatre felt like a great loss.
Theatre Building
The San Jose Rep first performed at the Montgomery Theatre. It had over 500 seats. The theatre always dreamed of having its own building. This dream came true in 1997. They moved to the Sobrato Auditorium, 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 theatre built. The theatre has 584 seats in total.
See also
