Z SPACE STUDIO
499 Alabama St Ste 450, San Francisco, CA 94110 www.zspace.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The Z Space Studio commissions, develops, presents and produces a full season of new works from a variety of disciplines. The organization fosters opportunities around the nation for new works and engages diverse audiences through interactions with the process, the projects, and the artists.

Commissions, develops, presents and produces a full season of new works from a variety of disciplines around the nation.

DURING CALENDAR YEAR 2019, Z SPACE CONTINUED TO FULFILL ITS MISSION TO EMPOWER ARTISTIC RISK, COLLABORATION AND CAMARADERIE AMONG ARTISTS, AUDIENCE AND STAFF IN THE SERVICE OF CREATING, DEVELOPING AND PRESENTING NEW WORK. OPERATING TWO VENUES IN SAN FRANCISCO'S HISTORIC MISSION DISTRICT, Z SPACE FILLS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE BAY AREA'S ARTS ECOLOGY AND CONTINUES TO CREATE NEW WORKS THAT PUSH ARTISTIC BOUNDARIES REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY.MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2019 INCLUDE EXPANDING OUR YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM WITH NATIVE YOUTH IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA; RECEIVING NINE THEATRE BAY AREA AWARDS AND BEING NAMED SHOW MOST LIKELY TO PROVOKE INTENSE DEBATE (KQED ARTS) FOR THE Z SPACE WORLD PREMIERE OF RIPPED; PARTICIPATING IN THE TBA THEATERS ADVANCING SOCIAL CHANGE (TASC) COHORT; REFINING OUR DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP MODEL TO PREPARE FOR LISA STEINDLERS SABBATICAL (JANUARY-MAY 2020); UPGRADING A SECTION OF SEATS IN THE MAINSTAGE SPACE; BUILDING MORE FLEXIBLE AND INCLUSIVE DRESSING ROOMS; TAKING Z SPACES PRODUCTION OF WEIGHTLESS TO THE UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL IN NYC AND ARRANGING A PRESENTATION BY A.C.T. AT THE STRAND THEATER; CO-PRODUCING THE LUCKY ONES WITH ARS NOVA, AND RECEIVING THE NATIONAL RICHARD ROGERS AWARD (THE BENGSONS AND SARAH GANCHER). WE CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER IN FOSTERING OPPORTUNITIES LOCALLY, NATIONALLY, AND INTERNATIONALLY FOR THESE WORKS AND FOR ENGAGING DIVERSE AUDIENCES THROUGH DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH ARTISTIC PROCESS. WITH CRITICAL ISSUES OF ACCESS, AGENCY, AND EMPATHY AT THE FOREFRONT OF SOCIOPOLITICAL CONVERSATIONS, THE DEMAND AND DESIRE HAS INCREASED FOR THE RISK-TAKING COMMUNITY DRIVEN WORK DEVELOPED AND CURATED IN Z SPACE. WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO BEING A PROCESS RATHER THAN A PRODUCT-ORIENTED ORGANIZATION THAT SERVES AS A COLLABORATIVE HUB, WHERE ARTISTS HAVE TIME, RESOURCES, AND COMMUNITIES-OF-PRACTICE TO HELP FIND THEIR VOICES AND REALIZE THEIR ARTISTIC VISION. OUR UNIQUE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT RESIDENCY PROGRAM SUPPORTED BY THE ANDREW MELLON FOUNDATION HAS NURTURED MORE THAN SIXTY PROJECTS OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS BY PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE FULL TECHNICAL CAPACITY OF OUR MAINSTAGE SPACE AND TECHNICAL PERSONNEL. WE ARE ALSO COMMITTED TO REMAINING BOTH A DEVELOPMENT HOME AND A STABLE PRESENTING HOUSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. THEY ARE AMONG THE BAY AREAS LEADING ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS, WHO LOOK TO OUR VENUES FOR A BREADTH OF TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES TO PRESENT THE HIGHEST QUALITY WORK. WE REACH APPROXIMATELY 21,000 AUDIENCE MEMBERS ANNUALLY, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 700 YOUTH AND CHILDREN. AS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY NEW WORKS VENUE, WE PRODUCE AND PRESENT A DIVERSE ARRAY OF WORK FROM ACCLAIMED ARTISTS AND ENSEMBLES SUCH AS AXIS DANCE, SEAN DORSEY DANCE, WOOSTER GROUP, MUGWUMPIN, OPERA PARALLELE, JOE GOODE PERFORMANCE GROUP, COMMUNITY WORKS WEST...THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.OVER THE PAST DECADE, Z SPACE HAS BUILT A NATIONAL REPUTATION FOR DEVELOPING AND PRODUCING LARGE-SCALE ROCK OPERAS: HUNDRED DAYS (THE BENGSONS), THE LUCKY ONES (THE BENGSONS), WEIGHTLESS (THE KILBANES), AND MOST RECENTLY THE RED SHADES (ADRIENNE PRICE, MATT GRANDY, AND JEANINE ADKISSON). Z SPACE DEVELOPED ALL OF THESE PIECES THROUGH MULTIPLE READINGS AND WORKSHOPS, INCLUDING PRODUCING PREMIERES FOR BAY AREA AUDIENCES AT Z SPACE, TAKING SHOWS TO THE UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL IN NYC, AND LINING UP TOURS TO OTHER THEATERS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. AFTER MANY YEARS OF PARTNERING WITH A.C.T. IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES, Z SPACES PRODUCTION OF WEIGHTLESS WAS PRESENTED BY A.C.T. AT THE STRAND IN SPRING 2019.IN MAY 2019, Z SPACE PRODUCED THE WORLD PREMIERE OF RIPPED BY RACHEL BUBLITZ. THE PRODUCTION WAS NOMINATED FOR SEVEN THEATRE BAY AREA AWARDS, INCLUDING BEST WORLD PREMIERE PLAY, BEST OVERALL PRODUCTION, AND BEST DIRECTION (LISA STEINDLER). IN JULY 2019, WITH SUPPORT FROM THE HORIZONS FOUNDATION AND THE NEA, Z SPACE PRODUCED A TWO-WEEK DEVELOPMENTAL WORKSHOP OF EXCERPTS FROM THE RED SHADES, A TRANS SUPERHERO ROCK OPERA. EDRIS COOPER AND ROTIMI AGBABIAKA CO-DIRECTED THE WORKSHOP, WHICH STARRED TOMMY CLIFFORD-CARLOS. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, WORD FOR WORD REALIZED A LONG-TIME DREAM AND PRESENTED A FULL-SCALE WORLD PREMIER PRODUCTION OF SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGES EPIC POEM RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER. USING THE PERFORMING COMPANYS UNIQUE STYLE OF VIVID THEATRICAL IMAGERY, DESIGN ELEMENTS, AND EXTENSIVE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, THE PRODUCTION DELVED INTO HUMANKINDS DESTRUCTIVE EFFECT ON THE NATURAL WORLD. Z SPACES RENTAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM, SUBSPACE, SERVED 14 GROUPS IN 2019. THE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT RESIDENCY PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH MUCH NEEDED TECHNICAL AND DESIGN RESOURCES AT THE CRUCIAL LATE-STAGE OF NEW WORK DEVELOPMENT, SERVED 10 ARTISTS/ARTS ORGANIZATIONS FOR A TOTAL OF 11 WEEKS IN 2019. BOTH RESIDENCY PROGRAMS ARE VITAL TO THE MISSION OF Z SPACE AND TO THE ARTS ECOSYSTEM OF THE BAY AREA. Z SPACE ROUNDED OUT THE PROGRAMMING WITH A WIDE ARRAY OF RESIDENCIES, RENTALS, AND SUBSIDIZED PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. OUR YOUTH ARTS PROGRAM CONTINUES TO REACH SCHOOLS AND SERVE STUDENTS (PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS) IN SAN FRANCISCO, OAKLAND, MILL VALLEY, AND SONOMA, USING THE PERFORMANCE PROCESS OF OUR ACCLAIMED THEATRE COMPANY WORD FOR WORD. OUR TEACHING ARTISTS LEAD STUDENTS IN TRANSFORMING FICTION AND POETRY, VERBATIM, INTO STAGED PERFORMANCES, HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME BETTER READERS, SPEAKERS, AND LISTENERS. BEGINNING IN 2018, YOUTH ARTS EXPANDED TO SONOMA THROUGH AN EXCITING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA (FIGR) IN ROHNERT PARK TO SERVE NATIVE YOUTH, MOST OF WHOM ARE RECIPIENTS OF TANF (TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES) FUNDS. YOUTH ARTS LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH CHAIRMAN GREG SARRIS, AND DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS WITH THE FIGR TRIBAL COUNCIL, ELDERS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE, MAKE IT UNIQUELY SITUATED TO CONTINUE BUILDING THE TRUST NECESSARY TO BRING ART TO THIS COMMUNITY WELL INTO THE FUTURE. AWARDS & ACCOLADES 2020: RACHEL BUBLITZ RECEIVES GLICKMAN AWARD FOR RIPPED (WORLD PREMIERE Z SPACE)2019: RICHARD ROGERS AWARD FOR THE LUCKY ONES, THE BENGSONS AND SARAH GANCHER2019: BEST BAY AREA THEATER OF 2019: RIPPED NAMED SHOW MOST LIKELY TO PROVOKE INTENSE DEBATE (KQED ARTS)2019: WEIGHTLESS, COMMISSIONED AND PRODUCED BY Z SPACE, SELECTED FOR UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL20152018 BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE (BEST OF THE BAY, 48 HILLS)2018: THE LUCKY ONES RECEIVES LUCILLE LORTEL AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY (SONYA TAYEH) AND OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL (DAMON DAUNNO)2017: LITERARY REMIX: WORD FOR WORD (SF MAGAZINE)2016: HUNDRED DAYS SELECTED FOR UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL2015: WILDEST THEATRICAL MOMENT OF THE YEAR, KQED, FOR WOOSTER GROUP2014: HUNDRED DAYS WINS THEATRE BAY AREA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL2014: BEST PERFORMANCE SPACE & BEST DRAMATIC BAR (THE BAY GUARDIAN)2013: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FOR BEST ENTIRE PRODUCTION FOR WORD FOR WORDS IN FRIENDSHIP2005: LEIGH FONDAKOWSKI RECEIVES GLICKMAN AWARD FOR THE PEOPLE'S TEMPLE1999: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA THEATRE CRITICS CIRCLE PAINE KNICKERBOCKER AWARD1998: PULITZER PRIZE DRAMA NOMINATION FOR FREEDOMLAND, AMY FREED1995: KESSELRING AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY FOR PSYCHIC LIFE OF SAVAGES, AMY FREED1995: HELEN HAYES AWARD BEST NEW PLAY FOR PSYCHIC LIFE OF SAVAGES, AMY FREED "I AM PROUD TO CONGRATULATE Z SPACE ON THEIR 20+ YEARS OF WORK AS A PILLAR IN THE VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY THAT MAKES SAN FRANCISCO SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE. Z SPACE'S COMBINATION OF PROGRAMMING AND SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS AND YOUTH IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE UNIQUE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY THAT PUTS SAN FRANCISCO AT THE FOREFRONT OF CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION."-SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR EDWIN LEE.

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