Crowded Fire and Golden Thread Secure New Shared Office, Rehearsal Space

Crowded Fire Theater Company and Golden Thread Productions, San Francisco's two new play companies focused on developing and championing underrepresented voices, have secured new shared office and rehearsal space in San Francisco.

The 1,100 square foot space named "The Annex" is located at 1695 18th Street, Suite C101, in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. The space includes an office, a lunch area, bathrooms, storage space, and a large rehearsal studio. The Annex is owned by Art Space Development Corporation, which also owns Thick House Theater housed in the same building.

In the midst of the real estate crisis in the Bay Area that has displaced numerous non-profits and performing arts companies, two theatre companies supporting new voices and edgy work finding an affordable and stable home in San Francisco is a cause for celebration. The companies moved into the new space on July 1.

"Our team at Crowded Fire is thrilled to explore a shared resource and space model with Golden Thread, an organization that embraces so many of the same values we believe in," said Mina Morita, artistic director of Crowded Fire. "We are also elated by this opportunity to deepen our already strong relationships within the Potrero Hill community, where we have been performing for over three years."

"This is a huge step towards achieving our strategic goal of securing a long-term artistic home for performance, rehearsal, and administration," said Torange Yeghiazarian, founding artistic director of Golden Thread Productions. "This move will help us gain experience in managing our own facility and provide our community with a central gathering location. It is especially exciting that this important step also brings us closer to Crowded Fire, a company that shares our values and that we deeply respect."

"Art Space Development Corporation is very pleased Crowded Fire and Golden Thread will make the Annex their home," said John Wong, President of Art Space Development Corporation. "Both companies have been part of the Thick House family for years, and having them under our roof will help ensure these voices are heard for many more years."

Crowded Fire Theater is a critically acclaimed company for new play production on the West Coast. Known for presenting works by the hottest up-and-coming playwrights, CFT contributes to the creation of a contemporary canon that reflects the diverse work in which we live. A company in residence at the intimate 80-seat Thick House in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, we develop and produce poetic, bold, relevant live theater. crowdedfire.org

Golden Thread Productions, founded in 1996, is the first American theatre company focused on the Middle East. We produce passionate and provocative plays from and about the Middle East that celebrate the multiplicity of its perspectives and identities. Every play serves as an invitation to discover unexpected connections and engage in deeply moving conversations that last well beyond the life of the play. We are a developmental catalyst and vibrant artistic home to artists at various stages of their careers. We bring the Middle East to the American stage, creating treasured cultural experiences for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. goldenthread.org

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