[ This Just In! ]
For Immediate Release
Date: February 20, 2006
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SALVAGE VANGUARD THEATER AQUIRES NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE
(AUSTIN, TX) - Today Salvage Vanguard Theater signed a lease on a warehouse in East Austin and will open it as a community arts center in Fall of 2006.
“For twelve years we’ve been producing our works in venues all over Austin and have had great success despite our being a homeless theater company,” says Artistic Director Jason Neulander. “It feels great to finally have a place we can call our own.”
The new SVT space is located at 2803 Manor, a few blocks east of The Vortex and surrounded by east Austin eateries and coffee shops. Layout plans include a 2400 square-foot performance space with a seating capacity of 100, a 1600 square foot rehearsal space, costume shop and storage, scene shop, an indoor lobby and box office, administrative offices and a dressing room complete with bathrooms and showers. Salvage Vanguard Theater will also sublease 12 small studios in the building to local artists.
The quest for a permanent building began in early 2005 at the request of SVT’s board. SVT created a search committee consisting of SVT board president Sarah Andre, company member Shannon McCormick, company manager Etta Sanders, marketing director Lee Eddy, realtor Becca Bruce, architect Craig Nasso and commercial construction manager Jeff Hagar. The space committee found the Manor building after months of viewing warehouses, empty strip malls and old churches throughout Austin.
In November 2005, SVT put in a proposal to lease the space, but was outbid by another local company.
“It was discouraging, because the space was perfect and the price was right. We already had the layout drawn and when we were told that another company was granted the lease, we felt like we were back at square one,” says Neulander.
In January 2006, however, SVT was notified that the lease had fallen through and that the warehouse was available again. Over the next four months, Neulander and the SVT board negotiated with the landlord, Rubinett Family LP and an 8-year lease was signed, with the option to renew.
“By the time our lease is up, Salvage Vanguard will be 20 years old,” states Neulander. “It’s overwhelming and incredibly exciting to think about the growth and success we’ll have in this new space.”
Salvage Vanguard plans to produce its main-stage and second-stage shows in the 2803 Manor building and make it available for use by the Austin arts community.
Shannon McCormick will be Salvage Vanguard’s Programming Director. He writes: “I'm looking forward to engendering an atmosphere where members of Austin's vibrant performance community–be they dancers, musicians, comics, or creators of indefinable multidisciplinary hybrids–can come take advantage of and add to the sizable audience for innovative, cutting edge work that SVT has already created.”
SVT is beginning fundraising to cover the costs of construction- estimated to be around $350,000 to be raised by September 2006.
Construction plans are also underway with plans to start building by mid-June. The design for the interior is by Craig Nasso and Andrew Clements, AIA. The façade was designed by Derek Rosenstrauch.
The space is presently just the shell of a warehouse. SVT estimates that it will take over 6700 work hours to build the proposed layout. Ground breaking and construction will begin in late March with a grand opening celebration planned with an SVT production in fall of 2006. Volunteers with and without carpentry skills are encouraged to contact the Salvage Vanguard Theater.
“In order to pull this off, we're going to need to have volunteers doing as much of the work as possible,” says Neulander. “It's going to be intense, but worth it.”
To volunteer, to contribute or to receive more information about the new Salvage Vanguard Theater building, please contact SVT offices at 474-SVT6 or e-mail info@salvagevanguard.org.
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