Hammer 2.0: We Are Live!
Long lines formed outside the newly renovated and grandly reopened Hammer Theatre (“nicknamed Hammer 2.0”) on March 2nd for the premier screening of Spartan Film Studios’ The Yellow Wallpaper. This gala event celebrated the opening of San Jose’s Cinequest Film Festival as well as the Hammer Theatre itself. Just a scant hour before, donors and benefactors had explored the newly renovated space and mingled with faculty, staff, students, and community members involved in the revitalization of the iconic blue box. Rounds of applause rung throughout the building as Mayor of San Jose Sam Liccardo, Interim President of San Jose State University Sue Martin, and Dean of the College of Humanities and the Arts Lisa Vollendorf spoke, voicing support for the further growth of the Hammer 2.0 and thanking the dedicated workers responsible for bringing the space to life. The screening of The Yellow Wallpaper was the first of many events to come, and the future of the Hammer has never looked brighter.
Owned by the City and newly operated by San José State University, the Hammer Theatre Center is a distinctive, high-quality performance venue in the heart of downtown San José. The new theater will serve the University and the community through artistically and educationally excellent programming expressive of the unique characteristics and diverse cultures that comprise Silicon Valley. And it is prepared to bring in the crowds! Sobrato Auditorium, the main performance stage of the Center, seats 532 people: 370 in the orchestra and parterre, and another 160 in the balcony. With a moving orchestra pit, retractable panels, and newly updated technology including rigging, lighting, and sound systems, Hammer 2.0 is a premier space suited to a wide variety of public performances.
The Hammer Theatre was originally created through a partnership between San José’s Redevelopment Agency and the San José Repertory Theatre Company. The building, named after former Mayor Susan Hammer and her husband Phil, opened in 1997 and housed San José Rep until the company closed its doors in June 2014. The Hammer sits on the Paseo de San Antonio, a vibrant pedestrian pathway that connects SJSU with the Tech Museum and bridges urban spaces from Saint James Park to the SOFA cultural district.
Hammer 2.0 launches with a number of goals, a primary one being to maintain and expand this important cultural asset in the heart of Downtown San José. Hammer’s world-class main stage will feature a wide range of university performances and events, community arts and cultural organizations programming, and local and touring acts. A tiered rental structure ensures that Hammer 2.0 will feature local community productions along with larger regional and national acts. With such diverse performances comes the opportunity to bring new, diverse audiences to the Hammer and Downtown San José.
The Hammer Theatre Center also sets the stage for collaborations between academic departments and division at SJSU as well as with community partners. Our students will benefit from increased opportunities to work with and learn from professional performers, designers and technicians. The College’s work on the Hammer thus far has already sparked a number of new ideas for innovative programs that will take SJSU’s arts education to the next level. If Hammer 2.0’s magnificent launch is any indicator of its future, the Hammer Theatre will soon be known as a destination-worthy regional arts facility.
To learn more about the Hammer Theatre, upcoming events, or rental information, go to: http://www.sjsu.edu/hammertheatre/
