Geva Theater and Apartment Tour

mural on the side of the Geva apartment building

Last winter, Geva Theater held an open house for its new actor apartments, but I reluctantly stayed home, along with most of the guests who rsvped, since a blizzard was raging. They had just completed renovation on 11 apartments in the Merkel Donohue building, 150 steps from the theater (to replace the existing apartments out in Gates). Since then, I have heard positive feedback from the actors, not just on the proximity, but on the little touches that make their roughly two-month stay away from home more comfortable, like blackout curtains on the windows, so they can sleep late after performance nights. So I was excited by a recent invitation to see them before the next cast appears, and to get a ‘hard hat’ tour of this summer’s theater renovations as well.

Each loft apartment is roughly 560 square feet, and although they have slightly different layouts, they all have the same furniture, to adhere to Actors’ Equity rules (yes, their contracts even specify apartment details!). We were all impressed with how bright and airy the compact apartments felt, and someone commented that they are nicer than some of the actors’ apartments in New York City. In addition to living space, Geva also provides the actors with passes to Harro East, and local organizations like Hart’s and the Little Theatre provide discounts to the actors, as well.

The Rehearsal Hall

New dressing room

Back at the theatre, we toured the top floor of the building, which has been renovated as part of the recent capital campaign. As we emerged from the staircase, you could hear a chorus of “Oh, wow!”s at the transformation. They’ve opened up the library, rehearsal space, and kitchen, so it feels completely different. And the rehearsal hall has new flooring with a creative design that will allow easier measurement for staging. Finally, we descended to the basement, where the Green Room and dressing rooms are. The old spaces were dingy and depressing, but the new rooms are spacious and inviting. There is no question that all of these new actor spaces will help Geva continue to attract top quality talent. There is even a website the actors use to rate the accommodations of regional theaters, so word will definitely spread.

Peggy, fellow Trustee

Next summer, the theater will undergo additional renovations – this time, to the public spaces, to enhance the audience experience. Among other things, a new donor lounge will be created above the entrance, and a grand staircase will be installed to allow audience members to access it as well as the balcony. The elevator will also be connected to the balcony, and the extra egress will relieve some of the bottleneck that currently exists after each performance. The building is approaching its 150th birthday in a few years, but by the time it does, it will look and function as if it were built in this century.