St. Ann's Warehouse to Stay in DUMBO

St. Ann's Warehouse, the internationally renowned producer-presenter, has signed a three-year lease with Forman Realty Management, LLC for 29 Jay Street (corner of Plymouth St.), a warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn, just blocks away from the organization's current location. The new space for St. Ann's Warehouse is scheduled to open for the fall 2012 season, following the conclusion of St. Ann's final season at 38 Water Street, its home of 11 years, this May.

29 Jay is one of the largest remaining available spaces in DUMBO. It is ideal for St. Ann's eclectic programming, which requires open, flexible, column-free space that can be artistically reconfigured. At 19,000 square feet, with 33'-high ceilings, the new building is larger than the current warehouse and similarly versatile. It is conveniently located at Jay and Plymouth Streets, just three short blocks from the York St. F train station, and not far from the High Street A/C.

As in its previous two locations-38 Water Street since 2001 and St. Ann's Church in Brooklyn Heights for the 21 years prior-St. Ann's will be activating "found" space for cultural use. Just east of the Manhattan Bridge, where the neighborhood's future growth will occur, St. Ann's will once again create a cultural destination where its "super informed audience charges the atmosphere with hip vitality" (OBIE Awards Committee).

Peter Forman, Managing Member of Forman Realty Management, LLC, stepped forward with 29 Jay this summer amidst great concern-around the neighborhood, the city and the world-for St. Ann's future in the face of its imminent move out of 38 Water Street. Forman and the ownership group wanted to keep St. Ann's Warehouse in the neighborhood.

Forman expressed his enthusiasm: "We are very happy to welcome St. Ann's and their 50,000+ annual guests to the Jay Street section of DUMBO."

St. Ann's Artistic Director Susan Feldman said, "We are deeply grateful to Two Trees and the Walentas family for a wonderful life at 38 Water and look forward to working with our new landlords, Forman Realty Management. If you love our current space, you will love the new one. We can't wait to see you there next season."

About St. Ann's Warehouse

For over 30 years, St. Ann's has commissioned, produced and presented an eclectic body of innovative theater and concert presentations that meet at the intersection of theater and rock and roll. Since 2001, the organization has helped vitalize the emerging Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood, DUMBO, where St. Ann's Warehouse has become one of New York City's most important and compelling live performance destinations.

Through its signature multi-artist concerts and groundbreaking music/theater collaborations, St. Ann's Warehouse has become the artistic home for the American avant-garde, international companies of stature and award-winning emerging artists. Highly acclaimed landmark productions include Lou Reed's and John Cale's Songs for 'Drella; Marianne Faithfull's Seven Deadly Sins; Artistic Director Susan Feldman's Band in Berlin; Charlie Kaufman and the Coen Brothers' Theater of the New Ear; The Royal Court Theatre's 4:48 Psychosis; The Wooster Group's La Didone, Hamlet, The Emperor Jones, House/Lights, Brace Up! and To You, The Birdie! (Phèdre); The Globe Theatre of London's Measure for Measure; Druid Company's The Walworth Farce, The New Electric Ballroom and Penelope; Lou Reed's Berlin; and The National Theatre of Scotland's acclaimed Black Watch. St. Ann's presented the New York premiere of Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noel Coward's Brief Encounter. The play topped Brantley's Best of 2009 list in The New York Times and completed a Broadway run at Studio 54 in 2010. St. Ann's has championed such artists as Jeff Buckley, Cynthia Hopkins, Enda Walsh, Emma Rice, and Daniel Kitson.

Highlights of St. Ann's current season include Enda Walsh's Misterman, featuring Cillian Murphy; the return of Daniel Kitson with It's Always Right Now, Until It's Later; The Wooster Group's collaboration with New York City Players, Early Plays, based on Eugene O'Neill's "Glencairn" plays; Elephant Room, written by Steve Cuiffo, Trey Lyford and Geoff Sobelle, and directed by Paul Lazar and; and Poland's TR Warszawa's Festen (The Celebration).

In 2004, Susan Feldman and St. Ann's Warehouse were awarded the Ross Wetzsteon OBIE Award for the development of new work. The OBIE Award Committee honored St. Ann's for "inviting artists to treat their cavernous DUMBO space as both an inspiring laboratory and a sleek venue where its super-informed audience charges the atmosphere with hip vitality." Recently, three productions were awarded OBIE Awards: The New Electric Ballroom (playwright Enda Walsh); Brief Encounter (Design Team); Coraline (composer and lyricist Stephin Merritt).