Climate is a state-of-the art boutique theatre laboratory in the heart of San Francisco. Termed, "a vital scene and vibrant avenue for some of the most dynamic and promising crossover and experimental work around," by the SF Bay Guardian, this tiny theatre has been responsible for some suprisingly large cultural ripples- including Craigslist, which began as an interactive mailing list for the venue.
Home over the past 26 years to a who's who of Bay Area performance, the theatre was the force behind a number of artistic movements, including the now legendary Solo Mio performance festival, and the Glass Haus events (which rapidly became the Studio 54 of the dot com era's boom & bust). As theatre critic Rob Avila puts it, "So much sprang from the Climate's operation in the 1980s and '90s that the outfit was soon labeled 'the biggest little theater in San Francisco.'" Founded by impressarios Marsha Crosby & Joegh Bullock in 1985, and curated after their departure by magician Paul Nathan (an eminent figure within the burlesque & circus communities), the helm was taken over in 2007 by current Artistic Director Jessica Heidt (Magic Theatre). Since then, it has blossomed as a central hub for cutting-edge theatre, urban circus arts, hip-hop performance, clowning, music, and new emergent art forms.
Regular performers include John Gilkey (Cirque Du Soleil), Adrian Mejia (Mime Troupe), Vowel Movement Beatboxers (the oldest beatboxing crew on the west coast), & Monique Jenkinson/Fauxnique. With a resident artist program that comprises a vibrant cross-section of emerging & established artists, the Climate is more than ever a space that stands at the center of emerging cultural traditions in a city that stands at the heart spring of American culture, from the Beats to the Black Panthers. In the words of Cirque's Gilkey "This is the place that has open doors for the forward stuff, and that's what excites me."
The Climate Theater's programming is split into 3 components:
-Theatre: The Climate presents more new theatre in a month than most major conservatory theaters produce in an entire season. Working with partnering organizations, independent theatre companies, and commercial producers, we find ways to launch high quality work in a tiny setting while at the same time developing that work with the bigger picture in mind. Recent highlights include the Bay Area premiere of SKIN by Steve Yockey (in collabortion with Encore Theatre), Faux Real starring Fauxnique, Your New Best Friends starring John Gilkey and fellow Cirque performers, Paul Nathan’s Devil in the Deck, and the monthly Clown Cabaret in collaboration with the SF Circus Center.
-Music: Through a weekly musical series, and larger "one-off" productions, the Climate showcases a variety of local and touring artists. Given the current decline in the music industry and mainstream venues, our long term contact with and commitment to the artistic community allow us to feature performers you wouldn't expect to be able to see "up close and personal." Our audio system enables us to deliver everything from intimate folk performance to banging hip-hop. Touring & local artists who have appeared at the Climate include: Josh Roseman, Rob Reich, Vermillion Lies, Amanda Palmer, Dan Cantrell, Mark Growden, and Shadow Circus Vaudeville Theater.
-Art: Gallery and visual art curators Victoria Heilweil and Glenna Allee (the Climate Curatorial collective) bring a wealth of experience and savoir faire to the Climate, displaying over 100 artists in the past year, and featuring work by Niki Shapiro, Claudya Tennyson & Double Vision in solo shows and massive group art experiences such as Hynagogia (6/09), Unseen/Unsaid (2/09), Chance Operations (10/08) and Night Light (5/08).
