Theater space for local companies has always been scarce in Las Vegas, and the Onyx’s recent closing only exacerbated that problem. But new spaces and solutions are opening up, which could spell relief for nomadic troupes.
Most ambitious are Mark Shunock and the Space. Shunock, responsible for longtime entertainment fundraising event Mondays Dark, recently acquired a spot in the warehouse district just west of the Strip. “The Space will be a community-based, charity-driven arts complex,” Shunock says, “a place for us to call home, and an affordable home for the entertainment community.”
The Space will consist of several rooms: a 3,000-square-foot room that can be used as a 400-seat performance or event space; a 125-seat black box theater space; two rehearsal studios; a recording studio; and a piano bar. Shunock is hoping to complete renovations on the rest by late fall, with Mondays Dark eventually moving there from the Hard Rock Hotel. That event will continue raising money for local charities—a total of 35 by year’s end—and Shunock is now also fundraising to bring the Space to life. “People come to Mondays Dark to support the community, and this will be an extension of that,” he says. Part of that focus means Shunock will produce some theatrical shows of his own, and he’ll also look to bring in local troupes. “I’m excited to partner with the local theater scene and have them be a part of the Space,” he says. “I want to create something that’s very artistically relevant and new and to be able to give back to the town.”
Also coming to the rescue is Super Summer Theatre. It opened rehearsal studios a couple years ago, and those spaces are now opening for performances, too, provided the shows fit in with SST’s mission, since the company will act as co-producers for each show. “We still are nowhere near 100 percent space allocated,” SST board member Todd Harbach says.
Lastly, Darren Pitura and the Vegas Theatre Hub recently wrapped up a successful Kickstarter campaign to transform the old VFW building Downtown into a workshop and performance space. In addition to running workshops there, he’s turning the ballroom into a 50-seat performance area. “It won’t be a permanent stage, but it can be reconfigured,” Pitura says.
