Another Openin’, Another Show!
By Gwen Leahy
The New Oak Theatre Set to Open New Theatre Venue!
Among Savannah’s daily hustle and bustle, there hides in plain sight a poorly-kept secret: Live entertainment is everywhere. From the music of various bands floating out of restaurants in City Market, to the near-weekly burlesque takeovers of downtown bars, to the buskers up and down River Street, the arts are alive and better than ever within our city. However, despite the obvious abundance of talent, all of these examples and more have a single daunting thing in common: They do not have a specific venue.
For the amount of talent in Savannah, performing or otherwise, the city is nearly void of proper spaces in which people can display their craft. In fact, long-standing venues for the performing arts are closing by the day to make way for kitschy restaurants, apartments, hotels, and other amenities the city “requires” to accommodate our bustling tourism industry. Do not get me wrong, we Savannians love our visitors; we are not called the “Hostess City” for nothing, after all. However, it seems counterintuitive to build all of this space for our visitors on the graves of what would have been incredibly viable means to ensure their entertainment while in the city.
This reason, amongst others, is why it is particularly exciting to hear when a new venue for the performing arts is in development.
New Oak Theatre, an up-and-coming Savannah theatre troupe which just celebrated its second anniversary, is in works to open a new black box theatre in the Starland District. With previous hit seasons which included shows such as “ The Glass Menagerie" and “I DO! I DO! The Musical,” New Oak is well-versed in curating performances which speak to the human condition, especially in the south, while also giving the audience opportunities for gut-busting laughter. Having previously worked out of Tybee Post Theatre, New Oak is looking to expand both its outreach and programming, boasting a plan to put on four to five performances a week within their new 80-person venue.
With all of the recent development of the area, Starland District is quickly becoming a hub for artsy Savannah residents looking for an area filled with like-minded individuals. Sarah Brackett, Associate Artistic Director of New Oak Theatre, is incredibly excited to bring their new home to Starland, stating, “The Starland district is my favorite area in Savannah. I love the restaurants, coffee shops, art/performance venues, and the overall fresh artistic feel it brings. I feel excited and invigorated being in that area. Surrounding yourself in that kind of energy and environment breeds good theatre.”
Brackett goes on to say that she continues to be astounded by and appreciative of all of the support New Oak has received from the community since the announcement of their new venue’s development. “We are just overjoyed with the arts community here in Savannah. What a kind, talented, supportive community full of people wanting to create something special. We could not be more excited to join the company of other Starland businesses and create beautiful art for the people of Savannah with the people of Savannah.”
If you are looking to support the New Oak Theatre as their stage is being built, there are so many ways to spread the love. Seeing a show, interacting on social media, and generally spreading the word are all as invaluable gifts as financial donations (which are also greatly appreciated!). For more information, please subscribe to their newsletter for all of the newest updates on their development!
