HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – A mix of vision, careful scope management, serendipity and the generosity of many philanthropic supporters — including numerous first-time donors — has resulted in a new, three-stage performing arts facility for Houston audiences.
Stages at The Gordy has opened its fully funded $38.5 million campus just west of downtown, located across the street from the organization’s longtime home in the historic Star Engraving Building along Allen Parkway.
At a recent public preview, project leadership described the many roles the campus will play in Houston’s cultural ecosystem and in the surrounding Waugh Drive neighborhood near Buffalo Bayou, an area that has drawn significant redevelopment interest.
The new facility, fully equipped to produce a wide range of shows, brings high-quality performance spaces and technical resources to Houston’s mid-tier theater scene, said Stages Managing Director Mark Folkes.
In recent years other venues have also targeted smaller and emerging theater companies, including The MATCH (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston), A.D. Players at The George, and Main Street Theater’s renovation. The new Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts has similarly raised expectations by improving training facilities for young performers.
Adapting a Building for Performance
Stages at The Gordy transformed a mid-century warehouse — formerly occupied by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s conservation department before that department relocated — into a reimagined theater campus.
Reconfigured with a new addition, the 66,850-square-foot facility now houses three performance halls (a thrust stage, an arena stage and a black box), production shops for costumes, scenery and props, and flexible common areas for use throughout the week. The campus also includes administrative and collaborative spaces for local gatherings, programs and events, a 300-space parking structure, and 56 restroom stalls designed to serve audiences and staff efficiently.
Design and Community Role
The project team was led by Gensler’s Houston office, with theater consultants Charcoalblue, Forney Construction and Walter P. Moore providing engineering services.
One of the main design challenges was preserving the intimate atmosphere audiences associated with the theater’s former home while increasing capacity to support more ambitious productions. To achieve this balance, two of the halls include second-level seating that keeps spectators close to the action and enhances the relationship between audience and performers. The increased height and width of those stages also allow for more impactful scenic design.
The smallest theater offers a highly flexible floor plan that can accommodate more than a dozen seating configurations, making it ideal for experimental works, workshops and community-focused events.
Folkes noted that the fundraising effort was notable for the number of first-time arts donors who contributed. Lead donors include Russell and Glenda Gordy, for whom the facility is named; the Sterling-Turner Foundation/Bert Winston and T.R. Reckling families; Lester and Sue Smith; Rochelle and Max Levit; and foundations such as The Brown Foundation, Wortham Foundation and Houston Endowment.
George Lancaster, board chairman, said the board’s speed and determination demonstrated leadership’s commitment to delivering an elevated “curb-to-curtain” experience for Houston’s performing artists and audiences. He emphasized the campus’s potential to reshape how a theater engages with its surrounding neighborhood and contribute to local quality of life.
Located at 800 Rosine Street, the new Stages campus also prompted a simplification of the company’s name from its 1978 title, Stages Repertory Theatre, to simply Stages. As an Equity company, Stages typically produces about a dozen shows annually. The new venue opened with an inaugural production of The Fantasticks, which began performances the opening weekend.
Jan. 28, 2020 Realty News Report — Copyright 2020
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