Copious Love Productions To Re-Open Ballard Underground As A Cabaret

The Ballard Underground, the last live theatre venue in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood, is changing hands as Copious Love Productions takes over from Ghost Light Theatricals, which has operated the venue for the past 10 years. Copious Love has produced several shows in the space over the past decade of operations, and is now assuming the lease. It will transform the space into a cabaret-style venue to be renamed Copious, which will re-open to the public on February 1, 2019.

"We believe that the 'arts community' and 'newcomers to Seattle' can find community in the arts," said Lacy Gavilanes, one of the co-founders of Copious Love Productions and co-executive of the new Copious project. "At Copious, we are theatre kids who love to dress up and play, but we're also gamers and techies who love to explore new worlds. We don't see a conflict between those two things - one of our most successful recent productions, CODENAME: KANSAS, blended the Wizard of Oz story with the feel of being inside a video game. We are building out this space to be a living room for Ballard and the arts community, a place where people of all backgrounds can experience imaginative work every night of the week, and also imagine using our flexible space to create art that reflects their own passions."

To facilitate this vision, Copious is renovating the space to give it a less formal feel than a traditional theatre. It will retain the existing risers and seating as an option for sit-down style productions, but shift the feel of the space toward a cabaret lounge, fit for drag performances, burlesque arts, and more interactive performance art that does not necessarily require a central stage. It will offer live-streaming of performances on Twitch. Copious also plans to make the space available for rentals during the day and to design other offerings around the needs of the community. Additionally, Copious will operate on a profit-sharing model with producers who book the space.

"Artists in Seattle tend not to get paid for their work and we want to change that," said Copious Love Productions Managing Director, Tony Gavilanes. "We want to change that. By keeping the cost of operations low, booking it as often as possible, and splitting proceeds with performers, we are literally making space in Seattle for more inventive art, by a more diverse range of artists. That's the heart of what we do and why we are excited to partner with the community to transform the Underground."

Copious is raising funds from the community to aid in the build-out of the new space. Following its Grand Opening Party on February 1, the venue will host "Copious Month," featuring shows every night of the week. Tickets to all Copious Month performances will be a flat price of $15, and Ballardites receive discounts all month long. Supporters can also buy an all-access pass to Copious Month for $180. More information and a calendar of scheduled performances is available at copious.art.

ABOUT COPIOUS LOVE PRODUCTIONS:

Copious Love Productions is a Seattle theatre company focused on cultivating original works. We strive to develop fun interactive experiences for a more vibrant community of art, artists and audiences. The company began in 2010 and soon blossomed into an artistic respite for many. We have created thirteen all-original productions, sustained a Partner Artist relationship with Shunpike and maintained membership with Theatre Puget Sound. This Project is supported, in part by a grant from 4Culture. Copious Love believes that we can cultivate incredible art by amplifying the creativity of our community at large. Please visit copiouslove.com for complete information.

Copious Love Productions is powered by Shunpike. Shunpike is the 501(c)(3) non-profit agency that provides independent arts groups in Washington State with the services, resources, and opportunities they need to forge their own paths to sustainable success.

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