Downtown theatre artists rejoice! A new rehearsal space is opening in the West Village at 60-74 Gansevoort Street, in a new co-op setup that will see administration and use of the space shared between arts organizations HERE and IndieSpace in collaboration with New Ohio Theatre and Rattlestick Theater. The groups have signed a 99-year lease on the property, claiming it as "The West Village Rehearsal Co-Op."
For six months every year, the rehearsal space will be available to artists working with HERE, New Ohio Theatre, and Rattlestick Theater. The other half of the year, the space will be offered to IndieSpace artists for a subsidized rate of no more than $10 per hour. Additionally, resident companies such as The Grove—a collective of Black artists and playwrights—and other Black and Indigenous companies will be able to access the rehearsal space for free, courtesy of IndieSpace.
The studio is fully ADA-compliant, spanning 1,500 square feet, and has a kitchen in addition to its main rehearsal area. The co-op has emerged in hopes of restoring both the physical space and the support for downtown arts communities that has been lost throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as many rehearsal spaces were forced to shut their doors. With a low cost (or no cost) for artists, the collaborators behind the studio's acquisition are aiming to foster the next generation of artists in the Village, and hope that the opening of this space will inspire others to create similar home bases for artists to grow.
The West Village Rehearsal Co-Op will officially open its doors January 24, with an 11:30 AM ribbon cutting ceremony. The founding organizations will attend, as well as speakers from the Community Board, Aurora Capital Associates, William Gottlieb Real Estate, and City Council.
In close proximity to so many other theatres (such as Cherry Lane Theatre, Minetta Lane Theatre, and New Ohio Theatre, to name just a few), this space will surely serve as a hub for downtown artists to develop their craft in closeness with their community.
