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As many of you know, our previous attempt
to purchase an old bank building on Washington
Street did not work out due to funding issues
– it was just too expensive. Furthermore,
while it was very big, it did not have the
necessary width to support the stage and wing
space needed for production versatility. Other
locations that seemed to fit did not work
out for one reason or another. Honestly, it
has been very discouraging these last few
years. I, myself, have looked at over 65 different
properties in this search.
When this piece of property became available,
some Board members were a bit hesitant at
first. It is not Main St, the Vista or Five
Points - all the most well known areas of
town. Once they visited the site, imaginations
began to soar. It’s in a very visible
area for thousands of vehicles that pass by
each day yet it’s really on a very underused
and un-crowded street. It’s easily accessible
from all areas of the Midlands, it’s
within the city limits and, it’s not
very far from downtown and Vista restaurants
and bars. On this site, Workshop Theatre can
begin fresh in a building with plenty of restrooms,
shop and wing space adequate to produce a
great variety of shows, on-site classrooms,
rehearsal and storage. And best of all –
we’ll own it! Well, okay, the bank owns
part of it for now, but it is already 88%
paid for and we expect to have it 100% paid
by the end of this year at the latest.
Of course, we still have a long way to go;
building construction won’t be cheap
and we’ll all have to pitch in to raise
enough money for that, but as the old Chinese
proverb says: “A journey of 1,000 miles
begins with a single step”. Workshop
Theatre has just made a giant first step and,
plans, drawings and theatre models will be
forthcoming. Board and staff members are ecstatic
about the purchase and will likely talk your
ear off if you ask about it – but do
ask. We want everyone to share in this new
venture.
If you get a chance, drive by and check it
out. You’ll have to use your imagination
for now, but remember – Workshop folks
are the most creative around. You can bet
the new Workshop Theatre will soon be one
of Columbia’s landmarks. Directions
to the site are as follows:
On I-126 headed into town, take the Elmwood
Avenue exit and take the first right after
the overpass onto Gadsden Street. Go 1 block
to Calhoun Street and turn right. Go 1 block
to Wayne Street and turn right. Follow Wayne
Street 1 block back to Elmwood Avenue. When
you go under the highway overpass, the Workshop
Theatre property will be directly in front
of you.
From Downtown, take Calhoun Street west until
you get to Wayne Street. Turn right. Follow
Wayne Street 1 block to Elmwood Avenue. When
you go under the highway overpass, the Workshop
Theatre property will be directly in front
of you.
From Elmwood Ave headed west, bear right
just before the I-126 overpass and proceed
down Elmwood Avenue past the sign shop at
the corner of Wayne Street. The Workshop Theatre
property is the next lot on right.
From Cayce/West Columbia, take Huger Street
northwest toward I-126. At the last light
before the interstate, turn right on Laurel
Street and go two blocks to Wayne Street.
Turn left on Wayne Street and go three blocks
to Elmwood Avenue. When you go under the highway
overpass, the Workshop Theatre property will
be directly in front of you.
We hope to have a sign erected on the property
shortly. Thank you for all your support and
positive thoughts. WE CAN DO IT!!
Sincerely,
Jack Jansen, President
Workshop Theatre Board of Trustees
PS – We only need $31,000 more of pledges
and donations to meet our matching goal of
$300,000 for the City of Columbia Hospitality
grant this year. Your pledge could put us
over the top. Donations to the Building the
Next Stage capital fund are fully tax deductible
and may be mailed to Workshop Theatre, PO
Box 11555, Columbia, SC 29211.
