Annie and Deejay met while working at another theatre company just over 5 years ago and sensed an immediate kinship. They were both passionate about contemporary and experimental theatre, but were sad to see so many younger and emerging artists being told that they had to leave our community in order to get a foothold in the theatre industry. There were too few opportunities being made available for actors, directors, and designers without a decade or more of experience to display and develop their talents, so we decided to change that. Since our founding, we have found an even broader purpose: providing space for all those who couldn’t see themselves elsewhere. This means selecting shows that are telling non-traditional stories, telling traditional stories in innovative ways, and providing emerging artists of all ages the opportunity to experiment and grow in a safe space. Which brings us to THE SPACE: The Basement! We happened upon a dirty, dis-used basement space on the edge of the Arts District in Downtown Richmond while touring rental spaces for a single show, and fell immediately in love. It was weird and unfinished and perfect and very unlike any other venue in our community. We envisioned it as a cultural hub – a space for all kinds of audiences of all kinds of art to find themselves at home. So we quickly got our ducks in a row, negotiated a lease, started fundraising, and began renovations the following summer. Since then, we have deep-cleaned the space, made safety upgrades to the front staircase, ran all-new electricity, added a new HVAC system for the comfort of our patrons, installed two ADA compliant bathrooms, added a second staircase, and expanded into the building next door to add office space and new dressing rooms! We can’t wait for this next phase of our renovations to become a reality!