On The Boards - Venues

Venues

On the Boards began its existence renting the upstairs theater space at Washington Hall from the Sons of Haiti. Washington Hall is a 1908 building whose history prior to OtB included appearances by W. E. B. Du Bois and Martin Luther King Jr. and performances by the likes of Count Basie and Mahalia Jackson. In this space, OtB presented such visiting performers as Eiko and Koma, Ping Chong, Meredith Monk, and Spaulding Gray, as well as early work by local choreographers including Mark Morris and Pat Graney, both of whom went on to gain national and international acclaim. As of 2008, the building is in poor shape and quite likely facing demolition.

In 1998, OtB moved to its current location. Built in 1912, the building was originally known as Redding Hall, then later as Queen Anne Hall. It had been the long-time home of A Contemporary Theater (ACT), who were moving to a downtown home at Kreielsheimer Place / Eagles Auditorium. OtB had the space remodeled into the 300-seat Merrill Wright Mainstage Theater and an 84-seat Studio Theater. The building is now known as On The Boards/Behnke Center for Contemporary Performance.