Homeless-to-theater: Building a $4.5M Arts Haven

After losing its long-time home in Anacostia last year, a local theater company found temporary shelter on the desolate ground floor of an apartment complex near the Wharf. Now, one year later, with five shows and over 5,000 patrons, Theater Alliance is making the move permanent.

The company has signed a 15-year lease with optional extensions for up to 29 years, allowing it to use and renovate more than 9,000 square feet of space in the Westerly, a mixed-use development owned by Hoffman & Associates. The $4.5 million project includes two fully equipped theaters with a combined capacity of 200 seats, as well as a rehearsal hall, reception space, scene shop, and civic engagement center. As of last Friday, the company has raised 80 percent of the required funding.

Construction is set to begin in March and is expected to be completed by fall, creating what Theater Alliance’s executive artistic director, Shanara Gabrielle, calls a multidisciplinary arts hub.

“Over the last year, we’ve started to really stretch into having a much wider reach without losing our hyperlocal audience. That’s kind of a sweet spot for the Theater Alliance,” Gabrielle said. “People are longing to come into a space with other humans.”

Founded in 1993 as a community theater, Theater Alliance transitioned to a professional company in 2001. Gabrielle explained that the company focuses on socially conscious, thought-provoking work rooted in community and storytelling.

Theater Alliance began searching for a new site in April 2024 after its former landlord, the Anacostia Playhouse, faced eviction. It moved into the Westerly a few months later. At the time, the building was an empty shell with limited electricity and no running water. For the past year, patrons have used the bathroom at a preschool next door. To make do with the temporary setup, Theater Alliance installed its own stage, lighting, and seats at the site.

Gabrielle described the past year as a “scrappy year” and credited the company's success to strong community partnerships. Hoffman & Associates President Maria Thompson said Theater Alliance has established the Westerly as a cultural anchor in Southwest Washington, where there is a shared vision of an inclusive, creative, and community-driven neighborhood that brings people together.

Theater Alliance’s expansion comes just weeks after CulturalDC, another midsize arts organization, announced it would sunset operations after 27 years due to financial challenges. Many small theaters have turned to government support amid financial difficulties. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the D.C. government spends more on the arts per capita than any state. However, this competition for resources makes the race for support even more intense.

Gabrielle emphasized the importance of a strong small-business arts economy in keeping the overall scene thriving in D.C. To achieve this, Theater Alliance is bringing in other local arts nonprofits to cohabitate in the building. The company is currently in final negotiations with IN Series, an opera theater, and 4Eye Film Center, a community cinema group.

“We need to create real solidarity between organizations — make sure that we’re sustainable, make sure that we’re sharing resources,” Gabrielle said.

Gabrielle praised D.C.’s pop-up permit program, which fast-tracks the process for organizations to occupy empty development spaces for up to one year. She credited the program with securing Theater Alliance’s new permanent home. Since the program launched in April 2024, the D.C. Department of Buildings has received over 100 inquiries and approved 15 permits, with several more pending.

D.C. Department of Buildings Director Brian Hanlon stated that Theater Alliance is a great example of the pop-up permit program working as intended to remove barriers and support long-term economic growth.

“As the Theater Alliance has shown, [pop-up permits] can help the creative community find the right space to house theater and other performances. And as we see, what initially may be a temporary space may become a permanent home,” he said in a statement.