News
October 3, 2019Capital Repertory Theatre Announces Public Phase of $13.5 Million Campaign for New Home—Unveils New Construction
On October 3, Capital Repertory Theatre announced the public phase of its $13.5 million campaign to complete renovation on a new space at 251 N. Pearl Street.
At a press conference at the former National Biscuit Co. building, theREP’s Board of Directors and Board President Harold N. Iselin unveiled the construction work underway and announced the goal of the public campaign as an additional $650,000 in funding, in anticipation of a July 2020 opening of the venue with a production of the musical Sister Act.
Surrounded by Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, theREP’s Producing Artistic Director Maggie Mancinelli-Cahill, Proctors Collaborative CEO Philip Morris; state, county and city elected officials; and Capital Repertory Theatre donors, subscribers and invited guests, Iselin said, “Today is the next step on a journey that began nearly 40 years ago.”
“We take pride in our remarkable history while we move forward with our own building—a place to create, to nurture, to educate, a place we can truly call home.”
Currently theREP—presenting Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero through Oct. 20—is in its original digs, a rented space in a former Grand Cash Market at 111. N. Pearl Street that was recently acquired by Redburn Development.
“Capital Repertory Theatre began as a dream, in 1981,” said Mancinelli-Cahill. “Now, just a few blocks up, we’re transforming a bakery into what will be a glorious arts institution and a place for the entire region to come together to share thoughts and ideas and to tell their stories.”
The new facility, Mancinelli-Cahill delineated, will feature a 300-seat MainStage with improved sightlines and traffic flow as well as a 70-seat black box theatre—The Lauren and Harold Iselin Performing Arts Studio—which will house more intimate productions and serve as a MainStage rehearsal space. Improved amenities will include increased accessibility, a dozen restrooms, a full-time café, convenient ticketing and additional office and work space for creative and administrative staff.
“Most importantly,” Mancinelli-Cahill added, “this new home will allow us to further expand our rich educational offerings and accomplish our goal of ensuring that every student in the Capital Region experiences live theatre before graduating from high school.”
Sheehan said, “Today’s announcement is an important step in the development of the new Capital Repertory Theatre. Transformative projects that make the arts more accessible, especially in mixed-income neighborhoods, are essential to our community, our city, and our region, and I commend the entire Capital Repertory Theatre organization for working toward fulfilling that vision.”
Iselin noted that theREP—the only professional theatre company in a 14-county range—has leased land for a proposed parking lot just north of the Livingston Square location, in addition to plentiful on-street parking and a Quackenbush Garage shuttle.
Donors and subscribers are currently choosing seats for the new theatre.
