Hammer Theatre, the former home of the defunct San Jose Rep, will reopen this fall under the direction of San Jose State University and with the blessing of the City Council.
San Jose Rep shuttered the theater and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June 2014 after failing to secure sufficient community donations to stay alive after a 32-season run. Costumes and props used in theater productions were sold in an auction two months later. The theater has since been intermittently used for pop up events.
According to the San Jose Mercury News, SJSU plans to use the 528-seat theater for a diverse slate of programming that would include university productions as well as rent to community arts groups on a sliding scale. The Hammer reportedly receives an annual city subsidy for $285,000 but costs $850,000 a year to stay afloat.
"San Jose State is taking a risk on this and we are grateful that they are stepping up," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told the publication.
