By Eva Trieger
SAN DIEGO – The only thing missing was the red carpet! Certainly the 300 plus person crowd boasted a number of local celebs including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, philanthropist Irwin Jacobs; and a host of actors and directors. I spied Rosina Reynolds, Phil Johnson. and Joyce Axelrod to name but a few. It was a virtual Who’s Who of the San Diego Art World.
All of these acclaimed folks gathered together on Friday, Sept. 5,in front of Building #178 at Liberty Station to honor and acknowledge the combined efforts of the City of San Diego, Conrad Prebys, the State of California, the National Park Service, as well as individual benefactors. This is the 18th historic building to be repurposed in Liberty Station’s new Arts District.
And while those at the microphone had to bow to the “Point Loma Pause” as planes went overhead every two to three minutes, Mayor Todd Gloria expressed gratitude for the interruptions as he said they indicated revenue for our city’s efforts to conduct road repairs and build homeless shelters.
The mood was buoyant, and thankfully the marine layer made the event comfortable as we heard from Lisa Johnson, Arts District Liberty Station President & CEO. The $43.5M reinvigoration will provide a permanent home for Cygnet Theatre, as well as providing an urban hub for endless arts including Young Lions Jazz Conservatory and Malashock Dance, San Diego Women’s Chorus and Write Out Loud. The Joan anticipates seeing more than 50,000 visitors enter the auditoriums and explore all that Liberty Station has to offer.
Eight years in the planning, this phenomenal accomplishment took an historic building of the Naval Training Center and with the financial backing of so many and the engineering feats of Fisher Dachs Associates, female-owned Boretto & Merrill Consulting and OBR Architecture, transformed it into a state of the art performance venue. As loud as the planes were outside of the building, within the walls of the Joan, it is quiet. The two theatre spaces, the Dottie (named for Dorothea Laub), seating about 150 patrons, and the Clayes (named for Joseph Clayes III) with 280+ seats, provide unique seating configurations, with flexibility to suit the specific programming needs.
Though Joan Jacobs was present for the ground-breaking, only Irwin was able to attend the ribbon-cutting. He spoke of his late wife and shared that she’d grown up in New York and was a huge fan of the theatre and the arts. Irwin grew up in Bedford HIlls, but he said, “she trained me” to share her passion. With a pair of oversized scissors, Jacobs cut the ribbon and inaugurated the venue. A lovely commemorative art piece boldly states the venue’s namesake. In tall red block letters the installation reads “The Joan.” The philanthropist and entrepreneur has left his indelible mark on nearly every corner of our city, and San Diego is beyond fortunate to be the recipient of the Jacobs’ investments and stewardship for so many of our public projects. As a team the Jacobs have demonstrated “brilliance, generosity and commitment” with an eye toward proving the maxim, “leave everything better than you found it.”
Sean Murray shared his gratitude and delight at settling into Cygnet’s new home. He expressed that Cygnet’s goal has always been “arts from the heart,” and he stated that San Diego artists are the best. This week will see season 21, and September 10th will showcase James Goldman’s and Stephen Sondheim’s Follies. The full season will boast four musicals and two plays in their new home.
The two auditoriums are regal, with excellent acoustics and special sound-dampening panels. Even the door fixtures were created with silence in mind. Additionally there are green rooms, large dressing rooms, a costume shop and rehearsal space. To put the cherry on top, there are artfully decorated comfortable settings for refreshments indoors and out!
San Diego County has always had amazing beaches and an exciting Gaslamp District, cultural centers such as Balboa Park, the Hotel Del and Scripps Pier. Now we’ve got one more incredible, exciting draw for tourists and locals alike. Liberty Station’s Art District: where history meets artistry.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in the coverage of the arts.