INTERVIEW: NYC theater companies band together to secure that coveted commodity: space
Photo: From left, Robert Lyons of New Ohio Theatre, Kristin Marting of HERE, Randi Berry of IndieSpace and Daniella Topol of Ratllestick Theater have formed a new partnership called the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op. Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by Emily Owens PR with permission.
It’s not everyday that companies come together to sign a 99-year lease, an agreement that has power and weight stretching for generations, but that’s exactly what will happen Tuesday, Jan. 24 when creatives with HERE, IndieSpace, New Ohio Theatre and Rattlestick Theater come together and form what’s being billed as the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op. Under the agreement, the companies will be able to utilize a brand-new, 1,500-square-foot space at 60-74 Gansevoort St. in the West Village.
The details of the lease will allow HERE, New Ohio Theatre and Rattlestick Theater — three well-known off-Broadway companies — the chance to use the physical space at the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op for six months of the year (two months per theater company). The other six months will be rentable at a fee of no more than $10 per hour for IndieSpace’s artists.
At the nexus of this new artistic opportunity is Randi Berry, executive director of IndieSpace, which, according to a press release, intends to disrupt the ongoing displacement of small theaters and create a more equitable system for theater artists. There’s no doubt that Berry and these companies find this new model an urgent one given the financial woes that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and the realities of living and working in a high-priced city like New York City — to say nothing about the skyrocketing rents in the West Village neighborhood, one of the most coveted bits of real estate in the Big Apple.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Berry to offer more details on the West Village Rehearsal Co-Op, which became a reality thanks to partnerships with Community Board #2, Aurora Capital Associates and William Gottlieb Real Estate. The executive director is gearing up for a ribbon-cutting of the space set for Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What are the details of this 99-year lease?
Our four organizations have use of the rehearsal space for 99 years at $1 per year. We have access to the space seven days a week from 8 a.m. until 12 a.m. This space is meant for use by the local creative community and artists in the surrounding area.
Was it difficult to have all of the parties involved to settle on the terms?
The lease negotiation took nearly a year between our arts orgs and ownership. The Community Board had settled on many of the terms before we stepped in, but then there was a back and forth to come to an agreement that worked for everyone.
As far as the work between the four arts organizations, we are very much aligned in our values, and that leads our conversations about who and how the space should be used. HERE, Rattlestick and New Ohio each get two months of use per year, and IndieSpace operates the rehearsal room for the other six months. Decisions have been made by consensus between us, and if consensus can’t be reached, we use a voting system, like a co-op, based on shares or time in the space.
Why do you believe this endeavor is important for theater companies and individual artists?
Coalition building and partnerships are key to an arts organization’s success, especially coming out of COVID. This space was created through deep collaboration between arts orgs, the community board, the city and building ownership. This type of collaboration and innovative thinking about public and private partnerships helps stabilize artists, who have had a very difficult time over the last three years (and well before that). Many small rehearsal spaces and indie venues were closed during COVID. Providing affordable, long-term space to our community at this time gives a sense of hope coming through the pandemic and security, knowing this space will be here regardless of larger circumstances of closures.
How much has the pandemic disrupted the work of artists in New York City?
Arts and culture was one of the most deeply impacted industries due to the shutdowns of the pandemic. Artists were already operating on the margins, with little to no safety net. The closings of spaces and the loss of work [have] been devastating to the community. The increased cost of doing business now, with ticket buyers still shy about being fully back in person, has been a harsh reality theater artists have been facing. The theater community is climbing back, but it needs support — funding, affordable places to live and work — to come back fully and to thrive. We know when arts and culture thrives, NYC thrives.
What was this space before being a rehearsal space?
This building is a new construction — commercial office space. So the space wasn’t there before.
Will there be other organizations in the future, or are you sold out?
The three anchor theaters will be operating moving forward for their six months, but during the six months of time that IndieSpace operates we will be welcoming artists from within the district and surrounding neighborhoods at a max of $10 per hour for rehearsals. To learn more about the rehearsal space, you can email rehearsalspace@indiespace.org.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The West Village Rehearsal Co-Op will officially open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. at 60-74 Gansevoort St. in the West Village of New York City. Click here for more information.
