Street Theatre Company Announces Partnership With Verge Theater

Since its founding in 2005, Street Theatre Company has been a home base for Nashville artists and audiences interested in innovative and offbeat works. The ambitious company has finally found a home of its own — thanks to a new partnership with Verge Theater Company, as well as a long-term residency at The Barbershop Theater as part of its theater collective.  

“Like so many arts organizations, COVID shut down our flow of income and forced us to make some tough choices — including giving up our former space on Elm Hill Pike,” says Randy Craft, Street Theatre’s artistic director. “With real estate costs continuing to climb, it’s been all but impossible to find a new home. So we’re really thrilled to be working with Verge and The Barbershop. But it’s not just a great location and space. It’s also a great opportunity to team up with organizations that share similar missions and ideas.” 

Indeed, Street Theatre has earned a solid reputation for producing smart, edgy works that you won’t likely see anywhere else in town — among them Lizzie: The Musical, Be More Chill, The Toxic Avenger and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. 

Craft says he first approached the idea of a potential partnership with Alicia Haymer, who serves as co-artistic director of Verge with Nettie Kraft. Of course, Verge also has been a driving force in the theater community for years, known for staging thought-provoking works like The Whale, Skinless, Kimberly Akimbo and Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. The company has made its home at The Barbershop since 2018, when Kraft and Graham Mote first opened the cozy 900-square-foot black-box space on Indiana Avenue. 

“Verge has always done such great work,” Craft says. “But Alicia and I actually first met when she directed for Street, and I immediately recognized her work ethic and drive — she’s just an amazing force. But like me, she’s a part-time artistic director. So we started thinking that if we could join forces, it might lighten the load for everyone. It also felt like an opportunity to really zero in on our respective identities, doing more off-the-beaten-path, fringy works — with Verge being the playhouse, and Street being the musical house.”  

Haymer says she’s also excited about the move, noting: “I believe in collaborative work, and that no one does anything alone. This partnership will only move each company further in reaching their individual and collective goals for the future.” 

To celebrate the new partnership, Street will host an open house at The Barbershop Theater this Sunday, Jan. 8, from 2 until 5 p.m. Guests can look forward to plenty of food, drink and live entertainment, while learning more about both resident companies. Street also will be announcing the first two shows of its upcoming season — Ordinary Days and Falsettos. 

"We’re already working on plans to add a steel-structured garage at The Barbershop, which will give us a separate backstage space for a band,” Craft says. “But for now, we’re focusing on a couple of small — but really great — shows. Plus, we’re bringing back our popular cabaret series. It’s really an exciting time, and we’re looking forward to seeing what the future brings.”