Everett and theater plan facility for young actors

Published 11:02 pm Saturday, December 1, 2007

EVERETT — An empty bank building in the heart of downtown Everett could be swarming with little actors in a few years if a nonprofit theater group can raise enough money to help fix it up.

Issaquah-based Village Theatre and the city of Everett unveiled plans to transform a former Key Bank branch on the corner of California and Wetmore avenues into a 170-seat children’s theater, complete with classrooms with sprung floors, rehearsal space and a coffee bar connected to an outdoor public plaza.

The deal is contingent on Village Theatre coming up with a share of construction costs, which could run more than $1 million. Overall, preparing the building for tenants is expected to cost about $1.8 million, including seismic retrofitting and installation of a new sprinkler system.

“We continue to be extremely excited about being able to have our programming in Everett,” said Robb Hunt, executive producer for Village Theatre.

Hunt said the building would be used primarily for the theater’s popular Kidstage program, a year-round education program for youths ages 3 to 20.

It could also serve as a second stage for Village Theatre to host nighttime cabaret shows

Village Theatre currently hosts the Kidstage program at the city-owned Everett Performing Arts Center at 2710 Wetmore Ave.

Since 1998, taxpayers have paid Village Theatre about $2.5 million to manage the 518-seat city-owned performing arts center.

In that time, the theater group has brought five main stage productions a season to the city, including “Cats,” “Evita” and “Million Dollar Quartet.”

The performing arts center, which is adjacent to the former bank, has no classrooms and isn’t ideally suited for the Kidstage program, Hunt said. At times, it has held classes in the lobby.

Moving the program to its own space will also free up room in the performing arts center that the city can rent out for extra income.

The Everett City Council on Wednesday will consider giving Mayor Ray Stephanson the go-ahead sign a memorandum of understanding with Village Theatre.

Council members Brenda Stonecipher and Mark Olson serve on the theater’s board of directors. Stonecipher founded Pied Piper Productions, which merged with Village Theatre in 2001.

The agreement sets an initial monthly lease of $4,000 and obligates the theater to hold weekly lunchtime performances during the summer, and allows the city to rent out space in the new building 10 times a year, at no cost. It also requires the city to pay for improvements to the building’s exterior and calls on Village Theatre to pay for tenant improvements inside, including special sprung floors that absorb shock for dancing.

If the city decides to nix Village Theatre’s contract to run the performing arts center, Everett would have to reimburse the theater for the tenant improvements, under the proposal.

City officials say the children’s theater could help bolster Everett’s rapidly redeveloping downtown, which is bracing for a number of new condos and apartments expected to add hundreds of residents to the city’s core in the next few years.

The city recently hired a Seattle landscape design firm to revamp and oversee construction of an urban plaza with a fountain in what is now a parking lot between the performing arts center and the empty bank building. Carlton Gipson, director of Everett’s facilities department, said the city hopes to break ground on the plaza and begin work on the Key Bank building by summer 2008.

“The Plaza Theatre and bistro will greatly benefit families in our community as well as enhance our continued efforts to revitalize downtown,” Stephanson said. “An additional theatre in our downtown creates more opportunities for learning, entertainment and family fun.”

Since its inception nine years ago, Everett Kidstage, part of the Village Theatre’s nationally recognized Youth Education Program, has served more than 8,000 young people, drawing an audience of over 30,000.

Kidstage programs include classes, summer camps, productions and tuition-free training in technical theatre, directing and design.

Lanie McMullin, executive director of economic development for Everett, who as a consultant was instrumental in bringing Village Theatre to the city in 1998, said converting the former bank into a place for the arts will make downtown more vibrant.

She said Portland’s Pearl District and downtown Bellevue are good examples of places with a healthy mix of activity that incorporate the arts.

“We continue, piece by piece, to fabricate the tapestry of a memorable city,” she said. “Imperative to this end are the arts, education and public gathering spaces. This project gives us all three.”

Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.