SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.: Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) has acquired full ownership of its New Vic Theater in downtown Santa Barbara, a space which the theatre previously held a leased.
“Purchase of a permanent home in the downtown performing arts district is the culmination of 14 years of planning and work by ETC, and the final element of the City’s 35-year goal of creating a vibrant performing arts district,” said former ETC president Derek A. Westen in a statement.
The purchase was made possible by a $950,000 grant from the former City of Santa Barbara Redevelopment Agency, as well as individual donations from Kandy Luria-Budgor and Leatrice Luria.
In 2010, ETC launched a capital campaign, “Ensemble at the New Vic,” which raised more than $11.5 million to renovate the 80-year-old Victoria Community Hall. Those renovations are ongoing.
“We’re thrilled to reach this critical milestone,” said executive artistic director Jonathan Fox in a statement. “Our new home enables us to reach new artistic heights and to continue presenting theatrical productions of the highest quality, while making the theatre available to a rich variety of other performing arts organizations.”
Founded in 1979, the Ensemble Theatre Company is a professional, resident theatre company in Santa Barbara, Calif.
