Civic Center adds theater, coffee shop

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Sep 22, 2003 by Darren Currin

Patrons visiting the Civic Center Music Hall this fall are in store for some new sights and smells with the addition of two new amenities.

Earlier this month, Civic Center officials completed the installation of a new black-box theater in the building's basement, as well as construction of a new full-service coffee shop on the first floor of the building's north side.

The 2,800-square-foot theater will be known as CitySpace and is a result of the Civic Center's partnering with Oklahoma City Repertory Theater and Oklahoma City Theatre Company to create a more diverse theater experience for audiences.

According to Jim Brown, Civic Center manager, CitySpace was the one component the historic building was lacking in providing Oklahoma City with a full theater experience.

"The key for us is that it develops a new audience in moving them to the theater experience," he explains. "This is just another part of our educational process of theater."

CitySpace is designed to appeal to a small audience of 100 people or less with a design geared for intimacy and versatility. As a result of its versatility, the theater's seating, lighting, sound and props can be arranged quickly, easily and at a low cost to the to the production company.

Furthermore, Brown says black-box theaters are primarily utilized by small theater companies because the space can be easily adapted around the artistic elements of a production.

"What black-box does is it removes the parameters of the stage itself," says Brown. "If you see a person on stage at larger stages you are only seeing the front of them. What happens in a black-box is the actors are suddenly surrounded by the audience and they are viewed by 360 degrees."

Because the space is versatile and simplistic, Brown notes only minimal renovations were made in creating CitySpace. Improvements to the space consisted of the installation of portable seating, portable control booth lighting, and draperies.

The cost in creating CitySpace is estimated at $12,000. Brown says the cost was shared jointly between the Civic Center and the two theater companies. Civic Center provided the material cost for CitySpace while the two theater companies provided the labor.

Under the current arrangement, Oklahoma City Repertory Theater and Oklahoma City Theatre Company will be the only two production companies using the new CitySpace. CityRep has already launched its first production in CitySpace entitled I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which will run through Oct. 5.

"Our partnership with local theater troupes in Oklahoma City is a natural progression," said Brown. "It's important to be part of this new aspect of theater in addition to the established companies."

CitySpace will be the fifth theater located in the Civic Center. The building is already home to the 2,500-seat Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre, the 390-seat Freede Little Theatre, the Joel Levine Rehearsal Hall, and the Meinders Hall of Mirrors.

In addition to CitySpace, the Civic Center Music Hall has also completed installation of a bistro-style coffee shop named Bravo.

The 1,500-square-foot space replaces the portable coffee stands the Civic Center had been using during performances over the past couple of years. Bravo offers various types of gourmet coffees and desserts and is open one hour prior to show time and stays open for one hour following the final curtain in the Thelma Gaylord Performing Arts Theatre.

Brown notes that extensive renovations were done in creating the space that features seating and tables. The retrofit was a capital improvement project for the City of Oklahoma City at a cost of approximately $65,000.

"This provides an opportunity for family and friends to meet for coffee and desserts before and after each show," says Brown. "The Civic Center is the perfect venue for an upscale coffee shop."

Kim Bean, owner of Kimberley's Kitchen, is managing Bravo through a third-party concessionaire agreement with the Civic Center. Bean has been providing catering services at city events for a number of years, said Brown.

Brown explains that the Civic Center agreement with Bean is not unusual for Oklahoma City-owned venues and is structured very similarly to agreements the Ford Center and Cox Communications Center has with its third-party food vendors.

Furthermore, Brown says the Civic Center may look at expanding Bravo's menu in the near future to include a variety of sandwiches and soups for patrons who arrive early before shows.

Overall, Brown believes the addition of Bravo and CitySpace are welcomed amenities that will complement the Civic Center's active fall season that includes well-known performers such as cellist Yo- Yo Ma on Sept. 27, comedian Jerry Seinfeld on Oct. 25, and the PVC- piped music of New York City-based Blue Man Group on Nov. 16.

The addition of Bravo and CitySpace mark some of the first improvements made to the Civic Center Music Hall since its $52.4 million retrofit as part of the MAPS program that was completed in September 2001.