The Burien Actors Theater, which lost its performing space two years ago, is in the early stages of creating a new performing arts center.
The new performing arts center will be built in South King County, but there is no physical site for the center yet.
The new space will include a 200- to 300-seat auditorium. It will also have an art gallery, small performance space, coffee shop and bar, as well as several other spaces that will be useful for all types of arts.
The building which had been the performance space for the Burien Actors Theater (BAT) for more than 40 years was demolished by the City of Burien after they decided that the old school was no longer safe to occupy.
“BAT was preparing to develop a plan for a new space. That planning was going to occur over multiple years,” said Eric Dickman, the artistic director of the Burien Actors Theater. “However, that was not to be the case. Once the City of Burien tore down BAT’s theater space, BAT accelerated its planning.”
The Burien Actors Theater reached out to LMN Architects, who has had experience in designing many performing art spaces.
LMN Architects have worked on such projects as McCaw Hall, The Vashon Performing Arts Center, The Federal Way Performing Arts Center, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum redesign.
“From our initial meeting, LMN Architects loved BAT’s idea. They could see that South King County needed an arts space,” said Dickman. “Once we worked out the scope of work to be completed and agreed on a price for the work, BAT had to raise funds to pay LMN.”
Some of the Burien Actors Theater’s longtime fans offered their house for a fundraiser.
The Burien Actors Theater and the fans reached out to people in the community who they thought would support a performing arts space.
“We arranged for food, several performing artists, including musical acts, a hand-balancer, theater artists, and a comedian as entertainment, plus our architects from LMN answered questions from the donors,” Dickman said.
To attend the fundraiser there was a minimum donation that needed to be placed but many people donated more than requested.
“At that one event, BAT raised enough to pay LMN Architects for their work. It was also a gauge of community support for a performing arts space, and the community appears to be excited about the project,” said Dickman.
The expected project will last for about five years and the design phase with LMN architects is projected to be six months long.
Currently, the Burien Actors Theater and LMN architects are gathering community input on what people would like to see in the performing arts center.
“There is still time to give BAT your ideas. BAT has been reaching out to local artists and art organizations, asking what they would like to see in an arts space,” Dickman said. “We are currently collating that input. That list will be the blueprint BAT, and LMN Architects use to develop architectural drawings for a new performing arts space.”
Ideas can be sent to the Burien Actors Theater at ideas@BATtheatre.org.
“To reach its goals, BAT will need help. Lots of help. Right now, we are looking for volunteers, but eventually, we’ll be looking to hire people,” said Dickman.
“If you like theater or think you might like theater, please join us online and in person,” Dickman said. “If you want to be part of the action, volunteer if you can, and if you want to work in theater, please keep BAT on your radar.”
The Burien Actors Theater is searching for a place to resume theater with a live audience and they hope to have a place secured soon, said Dickman.
“While all the work to build a new performing arts space continues, the Burien Actors Theater will continue to produce better live theater,” Dickman said.
With the rise of Omicron, the Burien Actors Theater’s next production, Destroying David by Jason Odell Williams, will be live on Zoom.
The story follows an unnamed art restorer who is grieving the death of her husband. She believes that the only way to heal is by destroying the most beautiful thing in the world, Michelangelo’s David.
Destroying David will be the Burien Actors Theater’s 16th live play on Zoom.
“After the show, there will be a talkback with the actors, and Maggie and I will answer questions about where BAT is on its journey to build a new performing arts space,” said Dickman.
Maggie Larrick is the managing director of the Burien Actors Theater.
Tickets are pay-what-you-will and the show dates are Feb. 26 and 27, and March 5 and 6.
The Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., and the Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.
To purchase tickets please visit https://v6.click4tix.com/events.php?domain=BAT
For more information about the Burien Actors Theater please visit https://battheatre.org/