Theatre news

B Street Theatre is unveiling its beautiful new Midtown theater complex, the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts (The Sofia) on January 30 with the debut of One Man, Two Guvnors. The new 45,000-square-foot complex on Capitol Avenue has two theater spaces—the 250-seat Mainstage Theater and the 365-seat Sutter Theater for Children.

Celebration Arts, which lost its East Sacramento lease last year, has happily adopted one of B Street’s former stages at 2727 B Street and will debut its new 200-seat space on February 23 with the iconic A Raisin in the Sun. “[With] support and encouragement from donors, patrons, friends, performers, the theater community has been tremendous,” says executive director James Wheatley.

Green Valley Theatre Company, known for its innovative musical productions, has one more production at the current 3823 V Street space before relocating to a new West Sacramento 100-seat Black Box at 3920 West Capitol Avenue in May, where they will expand their repertoire to include nonmusicals, youth theatre and a school of puppetry. “This move is exciting for us and is going to allow us to greatly expand the sort of programs we can offer,” says artistic director Christopher Cook. Side Show will open February 16 at the current location with A Chorus Line debuting in the new site in May.

Runaway Stage Productions (RSP), formerly housed at 24th Street Theatre, found quarters in West Sacramento but ran into technical snags with the intended space, so is back looking for a new location. Producing Director Bob Baxter says the search for theater space continues, but the company will be producing shows at temporary locations in the meantime. “RSP is excited to get back to producing and we are anxious to find our permanent home,” Baxter says.