Homeless Theater Troupe Has High Hopes, Remains Grateful

With its temporary move across a parking lot now complete, the Novato Theater Company is in the process of profusely thanking its landlord for its generosity and turning an eye to a potential long-term home base.

The company — not to be confused with the nonprofit that is working to renovate the long-shuttered Novato Theater on Grant Avenue — just moved out of the 90-seat on the west side of Pacheco Plaza and moved into a building recently vacated by WestAmerica bank on the south side of the plaza. The company had been at the Ignacio venue for six years following the red-tagging of the Novato Community House in the Old Town area.

Although all its props and gear were moved about 150 yards to the former bank, the company still needs a permanent venue to stage its shows in the wake of a to move to the St. Vincent property in Marinwood. A Neil Simon play, The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, is to be staged Aug. 30 through Sept. 23 at 32Ten Theater, at 3210 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael.

For now, the company sounds relieved to be finished with its temporary move.

"On Saturday at 5 p.m., we finished moving and cleaning and bid a sad farewell to the building we have all loved so well over the past six years," read a note on the troupe's official website. "We now look forward to a new beginning. Our hunt for a new space continues with support from you, our theater community and several Novato city officials and planners. We appreciate all of it and will continue to keep you posted on our progress."

Theater board president Sandi Rubay had high hopes the St. Vincent deal would work. Ultimately it was turned down because stage time was too great, too many people would be coming onto the boarding school's campus and the agreement would hamper the management's ability to rent out the stage for other events, she said. Rubay said she hopes negotiations can resume at some point if nothing else is worked out.

Meanwhile, the search is on for the Novato Theater Company to stay in Novato. The board members were to meet Monday with several officials from the city of Novato to explore possibilities. Several locations have been bantered about, ranging from the old to the on Grant Avenue. Even a heavy-duty tent was suggested, a la Teatro Zinzanni along the San Francisco waterfront.

The company spent about $240,000 over a three-year period to move into the Pacheco Plaza playhouse, and everything it owns — including the toilets — was hauled over to the ex-bank between July 2 and July 6.

Rubay said Novato Theater Company can't thank Pacheco Plaza's owners, the Walter Kieckhefer Company, for all the help through the years. Rubay said Kieckhefer contributed $10,000 six years ago to kick-start a summer-long fundraising effort that allowed NTC to debut at Pacheco Plaza with The Odd Couple in September 2006. And those first three months in Ignacio were rent-free.

"This is how great a landlord Kieckhefer is: Their last gift to us is that they are demolishing the stage at no cost to us — it was to be $40 an hour," Rubay said.

Another gift: The company is only being charged $200 per month plus electricity to store everything at the old bank, which is to be torn down this fall.

She said Gary Gonser, a longtime board member who has stepped down, is owed a huge thank-you for negotiating that deal and for tireless service, and that the Rotary Club of Ignacio is deserving of a standing ovation for giving so much support.

"Not enough thanks can be offered for their contributions," she said.

However, the company remains in limbo. All donated money is in restricted funds until a new home is found, she said. 

"We have subscribers waiting, donors who gave us money who are waiting ..." she said. "We're hoping for a breakthrough."