New, Female-Driven Cultural Institution Town Stages Opens in Tribeca

Town Stages is now open at 221 West Broadway, NYC. Located in the heart of Tribeca, TOWN is New York's premier venue to celebrate, collaborate and put on a show.

A new female-driven cultural arts institution and venue space, Town Stages is a state-of-the-art, flexible performance and event space that can support the entire lifecycle of New York's hallmark industries. With a stunning 9,000 square foot storefront facility, TOWN provides world-class cultural experiences and opportunities for all: from civic to corporate, tech to theater.

With a Mainstage, a Cabaret Lounge, and a multi-use event space with a capacity of 225, Town Stages will offer much-needed space and production resources for businesses, arts organizations, and families. TOWN boasts ticketed performances and curated community programing, from performance art to dance to theatre, and is also available for fashion shows, film shoots, weddings, and beyond.

TOWN will also be home to a Fellowship Program for artists, entrepreneurs, writers, content creators, movers, shakers, and makers of all kinds. In partnership with Sokoloff Arts (501c3), the program is part residency, part incubator, and part home base: offering the ultimate creative freedom to grow. An application-based program, the Fellowship offers access to shared spaces, rehearsal/performance/event subsidies, and an opportunity to be a part of a shared creative community, working together under one roof.

"As artists, we spend nearly every waking hour of our lives in studios, on sets, in theaters, and in venues of all kinds," said Robin Sokoloff, Executive Director of Town Stages. "These are the places we convene and collaborate, grow and transform. They are where we lift each other up, and where we make room for new voices and new perspectives. For many, these unique spaces are where we build our chosen families. In more ways than one, these cherished places are our homes. From that first magical moment I walked into an empty theater at age 4, I've been chasing this one dream: To create an inspired home for my artistic family, and build a platform for the next generation."

For more information, visit www.townstages.com.

Sokoloff Arts (501c3) is an emerging cultural institution providing inspired space, prospective, and opportunity for cutting edge events in all sectors of The Arts, Corporate, Civic, and Cultural life in New York City. Led by a team of women from diverse backgrounds and artistic expressions, Sokoloff Arts works to provide viable and safe space to congregate, strives to promote cross-cultural community engagement, and blends the arts and business to create sustainable solutions to social and financial inequalities. The organization assists young creators with not only space, but resource generation, production, and community. To address the overwhelming demand for hi-tech, flexible, and affordable performance and event space in New York City, Sokoloff Arts is now building Town Stages. To learn more, visit sokoloffarts.org.

Robin Sokoloff, Founder & Executive Director, is a lifelong dancer, theater professional, and activist: Passionate about building platforms for women and minority voices. As Executive Director of Loft227, Robin created a home for New York City's best and brightest artists and innovators from March 2012 to March 2017; seeing nearly 70,000 in her doors in under 5 years, while supporting close to 900 innovative works and small business owners. Robin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from New York University's College of Arts and Sciences, she is a graduate of NEW (Non-Traditional Employment For Women), and a former member of The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America with Local #157; proud to have built this city she loves. Robin Sokoloff is a scholarship recipient of The Jacob's Pillow School of Dance, New York State Summer School of The Arts, Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center, The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory of New York, Skidmore Studio Art Program, Mason Gross School of The Arts, and Coupé Theatre Studio. She is a certified New York State rape crisis counselor for The Crime Victims Treatment Center; volunteering overnights at St. Luke's/ Roosevelt and Lenox Hill Hospitals supporting victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Robin Sokoloff serves as Vice President of the Board for the Musical Theatre Factory, and Chairman of the Board of Sokoloff Arts (501c3).

Chie Morita, Deputy Director, seeks creative solutions to everyday debacles. She is the co-founder of FORGE, a boutique consultancy dedicated to helping artists and companies take the next step in their own work. Prior to joining the Town Team, Chie served as the Managing Director of the three-time- Drama-Desk Award-nominated New York Neo-Futurists. She is also a proud board member of The Musical Theatre Factory. In New York, she has worked with Broadway Producer Joey Parnes (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, End of the Rainbow), the Off-Broadway institutions The Public Theater and Ars Nova, and such independent artists and ensembles as Heather Christian and the Arbornauts, Esperance Theater Company, Extant Arts Company, UglyRhino, Panicked Productions, Fresh Ground Pepper, and art.party.theater.company. She has cast films for Sal Bardo, Emilie McDonald, Sarah Jenkins and Ashley Alexander.

Magan Wiles, VP Operations, created Hustle Creative, a boutique business management firm specializing in providing entrepreneurs and start-ups the backbone they need to expand. From bookkeeping to financial reporting to technology consulting, Magan loves working with clients who know where they need help, and empowering them to clearly focus on what they're most passionate about. Her clients are wide-ranging, from small businesses to non- profits to film productions, but her goals are always the same: find ways to save money, and distill back-end processes until they can be managed from a smartphone. Magan began her journey with Sokoloff Arts more than four years ago, building Loft227's corporate infrastructure into a lean, mean, art-making machine. No stranger to the stage, Magan is a working AEA theater professional, film producer for Jono Freedrix's side-splitting Super Twisted Shorts, and Co-Owner of world-renowned Argentinian Tango school Oxygen Tango in Los Angeles.

Staci Jacobs, VP Development, began working with Sokoloff Arts last year as event manager at Loft227. With more than 15 years experience in destination management and customer relations, Staci is a hospitality-focused professional specializing in all things New York. She's developed incredible experiences for some of NYC's Legacy 5-Star Hotels: The Westin, The Waldorf, The Hilton, and the Grand Central Hyatt. Beginning as a NYC Licensed Tour Guide, Staci found her niche connecting a global audience to the city's most coveted Film and TV Sites, while developing her own film production work. Her award winning comedic web-series, Saving Unicorns, is featured on the indie streaming platform Seed & Spark. From laptops to live audiences across the country, Staci has appeared in numerous musicals, including the national tour of Titanic, and many regional productions.

Photo Credit: Andrew Waldron Photography