City Lights Theater Company

Company Description and Mission Statement
Company Location and Hours
Company Staff
Board of Directors and Advisory Board
History, Awards and Credits
Press Room

Company Description and Mission Statement

City Lights Theater Company (a non-profit organization) produces a season of 6 plays per year in the Company's intimate 108-seat venue, and is committed to presenting exhilarating, thought-provoking plays that speak strongly to our audiences.The Company actively develops and produces new plays through our New Play Readers Series, some of which become a part of a regular season. We also encourage the growth of smaller "nomad" theatre companies through our Spotlight Series, in which a diverse group of performing artists are hosted in our theatre and provided with publicity and box office services for their productions. The Company also offers a Youth and Education Program which offers ticket discount, free Study Guides and other opportunities. In addition, City Lights is widely regarded as a nurturing space in which many up-and-coming actors, directors, designers and technicians are given an opportunity to develop their theatre skills alongside seasoned professionals.

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City Lights’ Mission Statement
City Lights creates innovative, engaging, and accessible theatre
that brings audiences and artists together
in an intimate, vital, and inspiring experience.

Company Location and Hours
City Lights Theater Company of San Jose is located in the heart of Downtown San Jose's SoFA Entertainment District, at 529 South Second Street between William and Reed Streets. Many fine dining establishments, such as the Company's host restaurant, Eulipia, and the four-star French restaurant Emile's, are within easy walking distance. The Company offers secured paid parking directly across the street from the theatre. City-operated parking structures, many of which are free after 6 PM and on weekends, are also nearby. Other merchants and businesses in the SoFA (South First Area) district include Metro newspapers, Agenda Restaurant and Lounge, MACLA Gallery, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, and Notre Dame High School, as well as other theatres such as San Jose Stage Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and Northside Theatre Company.

City Lights' administrative offices are open between the hours of 1 PM and 5 PM, Tuesday through Friday, and may be reached by phone at 408-295-4200. The lobby and box office open a half an hour before each performance. Performances in the regular season are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM or 7 PM. In addition patrons may find information and purchase tickets 24 hours a day at the Company's website, www.cltc.org.

Please click here to Contact Us.

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Company Staff

See Lisa Mallette and Kit Wilder on the cover of the February 2006 issue of Theatre Bay Area Magazine!

Lisa Mallette, Executive Artistic Director
Kit Wilder, Associate Artistic Director / Production Manager
Amy Himes, Marketing & Development Manager
Anne Younan, Box Office and Business Manager

The Company also employs Administrative Interns, Production Interns, House Managers and Box Office Assistants, as well as many actors, directors, designers, artisans and technicians.

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Board of Directors and Advisory Board

*BOARD OF DIRECTORS*	*ADVISORY BOARD*
Carl E. Cookson (President) Jason Silva (Vice-President) H. Beck Grabau (Treasurer) Philip J. Griego (Secretary) Elise Anderson Marvin Bamburg Lisa Buchanan Richard Clarke Richard Ehrman Yvette Fontilea Stan Gould Sylvia Head Tara Hildreth Marsha Lynch Tracie Mirch Geordie Prodis Katie Sims Tony Vierra	Steve Borkenhagen Rich Braugh Dennise Carter Jerald Enos Frank Fiscalini Tom Gough Phil Hammer John McEnery IV Stephen Moore Timothy Near Geri Weimers Leigh Weimers Jim Zuur

History, Awards and Credits

City Lights Theater Company nourishes the Silicon Valley/ Mid-Peninsula area by providing affordable high-quality live theatre that is innovative and imaginative. Having evolved significantly over the past twenty-five years, the Company has experienced remarkable gains in artistic quality, administrative professionalism and fiscal health since 2003. This growth has been accompanied by an energetic and enthusiastic attitude towards sustaining the vibrancy that City Lights creates in its community for both audiences and artists.

A local non-profit theatre company, City Lights produces a season of six plays per year, along with special programs, in the Company's intimate 108-seat venue. The Company is committed to presenting exhilarating, thought-provoking plays that speak strongly to its audiences. City Lights encourages the work of local playwrights and is widely regarded as a nurturing space in which many emerging artists have the opportunity to develop their skills alongside seasoned professionals. The mission statement reads:

“ City Lights creates innovative, engaging, and accessible theatre that brings audiences and artists together in an intimate, vital, and inspiring experience .”

City Lights Theater Company was founded in 1982 by a group of artists, led by Helen Lehman, who invested their own resources in order to produce challenging, off-beat plays (such as Ionesco's Exit The King , the Company's first production) and work by local playwrights. After a few seasons performing at San Jose's Unitarian Church, Kevin Kennedy became Artistic Director and the Company moved to a venue in San Jose's San Pedro Square. The passionate young Company produced over 80 plays during the next seven years.

The Company weathered a challenging period in the late eighties, during which the San Pedro Square space was lost and a major change in the organization's long-term goals took place. In 1991 City Lights took its first major step toward professional status when it began renting a converted warehouse at 529 S. 2nd St. in San Jose, which became the current 108-seat venue and office space. Ross Nelson became Artistic Director in 1992, and the Company began producing a subscription season of fewer plays with longer runs, while holding true to the aim of presenting vital, thought-provoking theatre. City Lights was recognized in 1995 when The Praying Mantis , directed by Mr. Nelson, received the Dramalogue Critic's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theatre. In 1999 a smash-hit production of Hair brought unprecedented ticket sales and popularity to the Company.

When Mr. Nelson retired, Tom Gough (as Artistic Director) and Lisa Mallette (as Managing Director) took the helm. The new team began in the late summer of 2001, just as the impact of the year's economic downturn and the fallout of 9/11 hit. For two years, City Lights put all its energy into survival. During this time, however, City Lights also began raising the bar of administrative and artistic excellence, producing highly successful productions such as Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show and Sondheim's Assassins. The Board of Directors (newly headed by President Carl Cookson) was strengthened both in numbers and in expertise. New resources were dedicated to pursuing foundation grants and upgrading marketing efforts.

In 2003, Mr. Gough stepped down to accept a full-time teaching position, Kit Wilder joined the Company as Associate Artistic Director and Production Manager, and Ms. Mallette's position evolved into that of Executive Artistic Director. The small senior staff of four (which also includes a Marketing & Development Manager and a Box Office & Business Manager) continued to work hard to exceed expectations in every way—and gradually found that while fighting for survival the Company had established itself as one of the most innovative and dynamic theatres in the Bay Area.

As City Lights heads into its 25 th Anniversary Season, box office successes and growth in contributed income have increased the Company's budget from $184,000 in FY0102 to $398,000 in FY0708. This budget funds a six show season and three supporting programs—the New Play Readers Series, the Spotlight Series, and the Youth and Education Program . Recent strategic assessment and planning has resulted in an invigoration of the Company's mission and resources. “City Lights is honing its identity,” says Ms. Mallette, “and securing its position among Bay Area arts organizations as a place where risk and accomplishment go hand-in-hand.”

For more information, please visit our Press Room.