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Washington Improv Theater previews planned 110‑seat venue and creative classrooms
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Summary
Washington Improv Theater showed renderings of a planned commercial space in NoMa that would include a 110‑seat black box, seven classrooms and back‑of‑house facilities; the group urged the commission to consider capital grant rule flexibility for leased spaces.
Mark Chalfant, artistic and executive director of Washington Improv Theater, presented renderings and an update on July 21 for a planned commercial theater in NoMa that the organization expects to open in about a year if design and build‑out proceed.
Chalfant said the proposed storefront site on Third Street NE (near the REI) would include a street‑level bar and café, a 110‑seat black box theater in the rear, and a separate entrance to a lower level containing seven classrooms, a green room and a circulation lobby that could host cabaret‑style performances. He described the space as an important convening area and secondary performance venue.
Chalfant revisited a concern he raised about the commission’s large capital grant program: the 30‑year lease requirement for organizations in leased spaces can be difficult to secure and may need review. He also said the program requires only seven of those 30 years to be in the future, which he called “a strange disconnect.”
Chalfant told the commission the organization would apply for large capital grant support for its build‑out and emphasized Washington Improv Theater’s long history in DC and reliance on public funding. He said the group is in the design phase and aims to open in about a year if all goes well. The commission heard the presentation during the public comment portion and did not take immediate action.
