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The Daily Orange'The little theater that could': Downtown's Redhouse moves forward despite financial setbacks
By Chase W. Wright
Posted: 5/7/08, 8:19 PM EST Section: News
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And she's not the only one. In 2002, Austin and a group of local artists began a campaign to turn the former brothel into a house for the arts. After two years and $1.4 million in renovations, the Redhouse opened its doors to the public.
The intimate space is far from conventional. Eighty-nine velvet red seats are separated into four rows and stand just 10 feet away from the stage. Patrons say witnessing a performance is like watching live TV.
"Our space defines everything we do," Austin said. "We tend to do smaller pieces, pieces that lend themselves to really tight focus and examination."
In addition to contemporary theater and cinema, Redhouse also offers performances from musicians both locally and internationally known. One of Redhouse's many stairwells holds a wall covered by the signatures of these musicians, along with sentimental pieces they've left behind.
There's also an interactive aspect to Redhouse. Guests can sign up for a number of artistic classes with trained professionals, toast champagne with the regulars in the art gallery overlooking the stage or settle at the bar for a glass of Merlot.
Redhouse offers a diverse mix of activities for any patron of the arts, but it hasn't always been easy to find funding. Redhouse has seen three administrations come and go, staff members laid off, a two-thirds budget cut and a name change that omitted the "the" before Redhouse. The administration is still having trouble getting the new name to stick.
Thomas Tarbox has been production manager for "the little theater that could" since 2004. He has yet to see it turn a profit.
"We're always in the red," he said earnestly.
Redhouse's tight budget has turned Tarbox into a packrat, collecting miscellaneous objects that may or may not be useable from local shops and thrift stores.
The basement of Redhouse, no more than six feet high, is littered with makeshift props created from salvaged wood and a table saw that seems oddly out of place. Old, leaky paint cans donated by Purcell's Paint and Wallpaper Co. are stacked together in a corner.
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