JACK, Clinton Hill's community theater, has officially opened the doors on a new space that will give it room to grow and offer even more to its actors and audiences.
The new Putnam Ave. space will allow the OBIE-winning performance-meets-civic space to have for the first time a dressing room, a lobby, and an office onsite; since its launch in 2012 staff have worked from founder Alec Duffy's living room.
The theater, co-led by Duffy and Jordana De La Cruz, presents more than 75 theater, music and dance performances a year and holds community conversations with neighbors on important local issues.
Duffy previously told BK Reader JACK was a space where local people of different backgrounds could come and share and learn from one another.
"JACK serves as a bridge for different communities and merges together what the 21st century can hold for us here in Brooklyn, in this neighborhood and beyond."
With the pandemic and pause on in-person gatherings, Duffy and De La Cruz pivoted their operations and transformed JACK into a hub for food distribution in partnership with the mutual aid group We Keep Us Safe Abolitionist Network, preparing and delivering groceries to over 200 families per week.
The pandemic also paused the opening of the new space, which was initially slated for last spring, but Duffy said the team was thrilled the time had come to move in.
"We're so thrilled to be in our new space, but are more thrilled at what it can offer the community," he told BK Reader. "This new space, with more square footage to fit amenities we didn't have in our original location, gives us the chance to better serve artists and audiences for years to come."
He said JACK's fall season was already packed with performance programming, and the team couldn't wait to welcome audiences "as they take their first steps back to live, indoor theater, music and dance."
For more information on JACK and its fall programming, click here.
