Burbage Theatre Co Announces Relocation

The Burbage Theatre Co Board of Directors and founding Artistic Director and President Jeff Church announce that the theater will be relocating to 59 Blackstone Avenue, Pawtucket, RI in time for its 9th Season (2019-2020).

Since moving to Pawtucket in 2017, Burbage has been met with incredible support from the surrounding community. After an extensive search in the area, Burbage has found a space right across the Blackstone River from their current residence at TEN31 Productions, ripe for transformation into a theater and perfect for Burbage's celebrated intimate and irreverent style. The company has been committed to being a part of Pawtucket's Arts Community since its relocation to the Arts and Entertainment District in the City's historic downtown.

Burbage officials signed the multi-year lease after their record-breaking 8th season of six critically acclaimed plays produced in 2018-19, led by their Rhode Island Premiere of Shakespeare in Love. Burbage received strong support during its search for a new home from Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien's office and the City of Pawtucket, as well as from the leadership of the Pawtucket Foundation. "We've grown exponentially since our incorporation. We're ready to Take That growth into our own hands," said Church.

Church said that the new space will allow Burbage to increase its seating capacity to 100 seats when appropriate, compared with an absolute maximum of 80 seats at its former theater. The new performance space will also allow the company to make use of a new variety of innovative seating arrangements and configurations for their productions. Church also said, "with increased audience capacity comes an increased technical capacity. Our sets will no longer have to be mobile, vastly increasing our creative potential."

In addition to increased theatrical capacity, at 59 Blackstone Burbage will provide expanded restrooms for patrons and improved dressing rooms for actors and team members, as well as office space for staff. And, most importantly, an ample amount of free parking.

In the new space next season Burbage will present five plays from September to June, including the Rhode Island premieres of both Robert Askins's searingly funny Hand to God and David Ives's The School for Lies and the Regional/New England premiere of Ayad Akhtar's Kennedy Prize-winning Junk. The season also includes Sarah Ruhl's In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play and Christopher Marlowe's Edward II. The season will open with The School for Lies on Thursday September 26, 2019.

For more information visit www.burbagetheatre.org.

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