Segal’s summer makeover

>> The Saidye’s new, revamped performing arts centre is equipped with two theatres, a CinemaSpace and an ArtLounge

COMING SOON: Segal Centre for the Performing Arts

by AMY BARRATT

The Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts is no more. Earlier this month, the Côte-Ste-Catherine road institution officially became the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts at the Saidye. Renovations are underway and are to be completed by October.

The 306-seat Segal Theatre is one of the few areas of the Centre that will remain unchanged. The art gallery and visual arts school have already disappeared in keeping with the new “performing arts” mandate. Taking over at least part of what was the gallery space will be a second performance space, in which portable seating for up to 200 patrons can be configured in various ways to accommodate theatre, dance or cabaret. This is surely good news for independent theatre companies, which have lately been having a hard time finding spaces to rent. At least, it’s good news if the rental rates are competitive.

Barry Taggart, administrative director at the Segal, suggested that rates might vary depending on how much seating was wanted. On the other hand, they might not. “I don’t like to publicize the price,” Taggart says, “because it’s not one price. We have seven different prices for the big theatre, depending on what you’re using it for. It’ll be the same thing for the new space.”

When pressed, Taggart said that rental of the second space will be about 75 per cent of what he charges for the large theatre. This past season, a one-night rental of the Segal Theatre, including a technician and four ushers, cost $800. So that would mean $600 for the second stage, which sounds like a lot, especially for a space that’s not exactly on the beaten track. On the other hand, 200-seat theatres are few and far between in this town.

“We’ve had tons of interest [in the space],” says producer Paul Flicker, “both locally and from out of town. “We don’t want to undercut places like Théâtre Ste-Catherine and the MainLine, but we want to keep the space as busy as possible.”

They aren’t officially taking bookings yet, but we already know about a few shows that will be mounted there. SideMart Theatrical Grocery, which has been invited to be the resident company (meaning they don’t pay rent), will present the Canadian premiere of Irish playwright Mark Doherty’s Trad in December. One play in the regular subscription season, Kristen Thomson’s acclaimed solo show I, Claudia, will use the second stage in March. Stacey Christodoulou of the Other Theatre will also be workshopping a Creole Macbeth. None of these shows will have to pay for the space.

Stretching the definition of “performing” arts, the new centre will also have a small (77-seat) screening room. Next to CinemaSpace, in the newly renovated, below-ground level, will be a meeting place known as ArtLounge. Featuring art exhibits and live music, it is envisioned as a “meeting place” for artists and the community, a place where brilliant ideas are routinely jotted down on cocktail napkins. ArtLounge is supposed to feature a full bar, but as of last week, the Segal didn’t yet have a liquor licence. “It could end up being a coffee bar,” says Taggart.