The Marsh develops new performance. It encourages and supports all stages of this development by providing artists with an intimate performance venue and an environment that encourages experimentation by giving audiences a place in which to see work on the cutting edge of creativity.

The Marsh provides a community where both artists and audiences can branch out into new territory. At each stage of development audiences serve as an integral part of the creative process, witnessing the magic of the artist at work.  And those of us who experience the unfolding of an exceptional new piece, will never forget it.

History

In theater you need materials, you need collaborators, and you need a venue. The vision would never have taken shape without Stephanie’s first collaborator, Peggy Howe. They started a Monday Night performance series at the Hotel Utah in 1989, moved to Morty’s in North Beach the following year, then into the back room at Cafe Beano where The Marsh began presenting over 150 different performances a year. The collaboration had expanded to include the Performers, the Audience, and everyone involved in supporting the work (the Support) that goes on at a theater. In December 1992, The Marsh found its current home at 1062 Valencia, an intimate 110 seat theater. In 1996, it purchased this location, a 12,000 sq ft building, where the vision continues to evolve.

Vision

The Marsh began with a creative vision. The name, The Marsh, a breeding ground for new performance, came out of several months Stephanie Weisman spent living on the edge of a marsh writing and watching the rich interplay between the different elements that created the landscape. The Marsh, it seemed like a perfect metaphor for artistic development in the urban environment.

It is about transformation, possibilities and community. Most people first come to The Marsh as audience members, but they often end up more actively involved: enrolling in a workshop, coming to a sing-along night, volunteering their services, participating in The Marsh’s internship program or maybe even testing their talents as a Monday night performer. The Marsh provides an encouraging place for both audiences and performers to branch out and offers opportunities for every level of involvement.

GRANTS AWARDED

In 2009, the Foundation supported The Marsh Performance Initiative II, the creation and presentation of 5 full-length and 10 short works of solo theater, and training artists in the business of theater.