The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre announced it will hold its 76th season of performances — and it’s a big one.
The current season will come to an end in July after about three weeks of Xanadu, which is ongoing now. The 2022 - 2023 season will begin about a month later and will be SLO Rep’s first full season since the pandemic shutdown.
“Like most arts organizations, it’s been very unsteady for us. So we’ve been proceeding on a one-show-at-a-time basis in case we had to cancel but we’re super happy that we’re finally able to offer a full season,” said SLO Rep’s Managing Artistic Director Kevin Harris.
Starting with a show called STEEL MAGNOLIAS, this upcoming season will include 14 performances of all kinds over the next year. Though, Harris said, this full schedule comes amid a host of other changes that SLO Rep is preparing for.
The organization recently purchased a new headquarters on Empleo Street off of South Higuera in San Luis Obispo.
“For the first time in 75 years, SLO Rep will actually have a home base,” Harris said.
The building will facilitate all of their administration, workshops, rehearsals and educational programs.
“We’ve been struggling with space in our current venue for about the last 25 years,” Harris said.
SLO Rep will begin hosting classes at their new headquarters starting Monday, June 13. Meanwhile, the arts organization is also in the middle of a capital campaign to fund a new two-venue theater building downtown in partnership with the city.
“We’re just absolutely thrilled to have a permanent, purpose-built theater for SLO Rep after 75 years in the community and really acting as the gateway into the new Cultural Arts District of downtown,” Harris said.
Harris said they’ve been working on this project for almost ten years in conjunction with the new parking structure being built in downtown SLO. Almost half of the funding is already raised for the theater building. It is expected to open its doors in January of 2027.
The 2022 - 2023 SLO Rep season will open July 29. SLO Rep’s Academy of Creative Theatre classes for students ages 5 to 18 start today, June 13.
