Frequently Asked Questions

A 3,000 SF space could house an 80-seat Cabaret set up, a 160-seat “¾ Thrust”, or a 120 – 199 “arena” or “in-the-round” set up. The point is to be flexible to the needs of the performance experience, and to complement the 500-Seat Bankhead, not compete with it.

1. We have a DOZEN small and diverse groups who are already booking space for 2022. None of these groups can be served by the existing facility. Frankly, many of the groups that are run by people of color are small. In order for minority voices to have a place in the community dialogue, we need a small affordable space in the Tri-Valley.
2. From Michelle Crose, Manager of Pleasanton’s Fire House Theater: “Out of 352 available calendar days last year, we had over 425 uses in the FAC, that includes the theater, gallery and classroom. Only 35 of those uses were rentals but that is because we simply do not have space after our programs, other city programs and school district programs to allow any other renters. We get calls weekly looking for availability in the theater and have to turn most of them down.” Our new building will help to fulfill those needs.
3. Livermore Shakes is anxious to begin year-round programming but there is no available small theater in the Tri-Valley. The 500-seat Bankhead can cost $7,500 a day for public performance, and is too large for our union contracts. A small organization, even if it could afford the cost, can’t run enough nights in a large house to grow an audience, where word-of-mouth is still the best advertising. Multiple nights in a small venue = more chances for potential patrons to hear about the show. Going year round is necessary for LSF to be sustainable long-term.

Both. Livermore Shakes is willing to shoulder the responsibility of fundraising and developing the building in order to grow our organization to year-round. We also recognize that there are other organizations, many smaller than ours, that need a home. We’re going to share.

LSF has run a detailed Operating Cost Analysis, which includes insurance, soft costs, contingencies and additional staffing. We know we can run the building in the black.

Smaller buildings are FAR CHEAPER to build, heat and cool, and maintain. 
A small theater requires far fewer staff, keeping personnel and payroll tax costs down.
Because it is affordable to rent, more can rent it. We “make it up in volume.”

We’re looking at about 12,000 SF for the whole building, including a partial second-story for a costume shop and storage, green rooms and office. The stage and audience area itself is about 3,000 SF.

No! – our “Shakespeare in the Vineyards” program is a specialized type of Cultural Tourism event, a subset of Agri-Tourism which is very important to the Livermore Valley region. We don’t plan to leave the vineyards. 38% of our summer patrons come from outside the Tri-Valley. Tourism is a big part of who we are.

Also, there will be traffic and train noise downtown. It will be a great place for bands, but not for outdoor theater.

Keeping the indoor theater available in the summers for other groups to use is a way to give full weekend runs to our cultural partners.

We can’t break ground before 2020, as the City needs to build the parking structure first. After that, it’s just about fundraising. Once the money is in place, we start. It will take less than 2 years once we’ve broken ground. We’ve been advised that fundraising will take 5 years – we’re starting now!

LPC is completely booked. They have classes as well as their own shows in their spaces. They are supportive of our efforts, and we partner with them when and where we can, but taking over their space to run a professional theater is not an option! (Lisa, our artistic director, serves on their advisory committee. Their Tech Director handles lighting for Livermore Shakes, and several of their students have interned with us.)

The Bankhead is too big and too expensive. It’s really that simple. (We also partner where we can. LSF rents summer rehearsal space at the Bothwell, and LVPAC and LSF partner on summer education theater camps.)

The Bothwell isn’t a theater. A white room with a dozen lights hanging in a line doesn’t a theater make. No dressing rooms. No backstage. It doesn’t conform to a number of union rules. It’s fine for a small community group to get started in, but we can’t run a professional theater out of the Bothwell. We produced 4 or 5 shows there in the early days, but the needs of the artists and audience have grown over the years. We need a real theater.

We are working with Livermore School of Dance to find suitable dance floors, and yes, finding a sponsor to purchase marley and a sprung floor is part of the plan.

The focus of the building is to serve theater and dance. Musicians will also enjoy the space, but acoustics and flooring choices will be made with theater and dance in mind.

Musicians will use the building’s green rooms and storage when doing Concerts on The Green. The snack bar and warming kitchen will support patrons. Small musical events will happen inside, as well. Stockmen’s Park will be a Creative Hub for all sorts of people. Local Band nights are scheduled on The Green during the summer; holidays will be celebrated with events inside and out; “open mic” style nights for closet-musicians will bring out the creative in all of us.

“Theatre is about communication between the performer and the audience, and between members of the audience. It’s important that the audience be close to the artist, and aware of each other. In the theatre, smaller is almost always better.”

–– From SIZE MATTERS, HOW A GROWING AMERICAN AUDIENCE AFFECTS THE SIZE AND COST OF PERFORMING ARTS SPACES by Theatre Projects

1. A 150-seat theatre that is running shows on most nights, spreads out the traffic and parking demand and is a far better catalyst for a vibrant downtown that needs to support local restaurants every night of the week
2. Marketing benefit of selling out rather than playing to half-filled houses increases a new theater’s chance of success. “They were almost sold out!” vs “They were only half full.” To nurture new voices – make them look good.
3. Word of Mouth is still the most important form of advertising. Better to run 2 weeks in a smaller venue – spread out the shows to build new audiences.
4. The space will be easier to rentto the organizations with needs that can’t be served by the Bankhead. The point isn’t to draw potential users from the Bankhead. The point is to serve those that can’t be served there.
5. Audience comfort. The vibe of the new space will be casual and comfortable. Jeans and cowboy boots welcome! Patrons will not have to dress up or be concerned about fitting in. The casual atmosphere is a great fit for new theater goers.
6. AEA Union– Tiers, on most contracts the break is at 99, 199, 299 etc. Going above 199 risks greatly affecting your budget, since cost per week per actor goes up at each tier.