User:Veritas982/citylightstheatercompany

Summary
City Lights Theater Company is a non-profit theatre organization in San Jose California. Founded in 1982, City Lights produces a season of 6 plays per year in an intimate 108-seat venue in Downtown San Jose, near the SOFA District. City Lights is widely regarded as a small but ambitious and artistically vital theatre company that produces risky, unique, and envelope pushing pieces, and as a theatre environment where communicaing with and impacting the audience in meaningful ways is key.

Productions
2008-2009 ''Noises Off

Rapunzel, or Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow and Holiday Musical Revue

First Person Shooter

The Three Musketeers

Stop Kiss

The Who's Tommy''

2007-2008 ''Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol

Boy Gets Girl

Lysistrata

A Few Good Men

Hair''

History
City Lights Theater Company was founded in 1982 by a group of artists, led by Helen Lehman, who invested their own resources in order to produce off-beat plays (such as Ionesco's Exit The King, CLTC's first production) and work by local playwrights. After a few seasons performing at the First Unitarian Church of San Jose, Kevin Kennedy became Artistic Director and the company moved to a venue in San Jose's San Pedro Square, producing over 80 plays during the next seven years.

The Company weathered a challenging period in the late eighties, during which the San Pedro Square space was lost and a major change in the organization's long-term goals took place. In 1991 City Lights took its first major step toward professional status when it began renting a converted warehouse at 529 S. 2nd St. in San Jose, which became the current 108-seat venue and office space. Ross Nelson became Artistic Director in 1992, and the Company began producing a subscription season of fewer plays with longer runs. City Lights was recognized in 1995 when The Praying Mantis, directed by Mr. Nelson, received the Dramalogue Critic's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre. In 1999 a smash-hit production of Hair brought unprecedented ticket sales and popularity to the Company.

When Mr. Nelson retired, Tom Gough (as Artistic Director) and Lisa Mallette (as Managing Director) took the helm. The new team began in the late summer of 2001, just as the impact of the year's economic downturn and the fallout of 9/11 hit. For two years, City Lights put all its energy into survival. During this time, however, City Lights also began raising the bar of administrative and artistic excellence, producing highly successful productions such as Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show and Sondheim's Assassins. The Board of Directors (newly headed by President Carl Cookson) was strengthened both in numbers and in expertise. New resources were dedicated to pursuing foundation grants and upgrading marketing efforts.

In 2003, Mr. Gough stepped down to accept a full-time teaching position, Kit Wilder joined the Company as Associate Artistic Director and Production Manager, and Ms. Mallette's position evolved into that of Executive Artistic Director. The small senior staff expanded to four (which also includes a Marketing & Development Manager and a Box Office & Business Manager), and while fighting for survival, the Company had established itself as one of the most innovative and dynamic theatres in the Bay Area.

In a period of several years when other theatres in the area downsized, went into debt, or shut down, CLTC box office successes and growth in contributed income increased the Company's budget from $184,000 in FY0102 to $550,000 in FY0809. This budget funds a six show season and three supporting programs—the New Play Readers Series, the Spotlight Series, and the Youth and Education Program.

In 2008, City Lights' Executive Artistic Director Lisa Mallette became the Theatre Bay Area representative for Small and Mid-size South Bay theatre organizations. This was also the year that the company expanded its staff to add an Executive Artistic Assistant and Publicity Assistant to the administrative team.

Special Programs
City Lights develops and produces new plays through the New Play Readers Series, some of which become a part of a regular season. They also assist smaller "nomad" theatre companies through the Spotlight Series, in which a diverse group of performing artists are hosted in the City Lights performance space and provided with publicity and box office services for their productions. City Lights also offers a Youth and Education Program which offers ticket discount, free Study Guides and other opportunities.