The Joan will open in September with Cygnet Theatre's 21st season
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The Cygnet Theatre's new venue at The Joan in Liberty Station. Rendering: Courtesy of the NTC Foundation
The Cygnet Theatre will have a new, permanent home at The Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center starting Sept. 10.
Why it matters: The San Diego theatre company announced Sunday it will officially open the new venue – a highly-anticipated $43.5 million restoration project at Liberty Station – with its 21st season of award-winning musicals and plays.
The big picture: The Joan is a key part of the ongoing development elevating Liberty Station's arts scene and reputation as a social destination in the city.
- It's named for the late Joan Jacobs, a community leader and philanthropist who along with her husband donated hundreds of millions of dollars to institutions and causes that have shaped San Diego's identity.
Zoom in: The venue will host the Joseph W. Clayes III Theater, a 280+ seat proscenium , and the Dottie Studio, a 150-seat flexible studio space named for donor and philanthropist Dorothea Laub.
- The Off-Broadway-style lineup will feature four musicals and two plays: "Follies," "A Christmas Carol," "Cygnet's A Magical Holiday: Christmas at The Joan," "Somewhere Over The Border," "The SpongeBob Musical," and "The Lehman Trilogy."
- Other arts organizations can also use the venue that will include indoor and outdoor lounge areas and a bar.
Importantly, The Joan will have modern acoustic elements designed to mitigate noise from planes flying overhead.
What they're saying: This move marks "an exciting new chapter" for Cygnet Theatre, artistic director Sean Murray said in a statement.
- "This state-of-the-art space allows us to bring our mission to life in new and dynamic ways, offering audiences the same exceptional, impactful and provocative storytelling that we are known for," Murray said.
Follow the money: Jacobs was a lead donor for the restoration and renovation of the historic Naval Building 178 that will house the venue.
- The Cygnet and NTC Foundation — a nonprofit that operates the Arts District and oversees most of the historic buildings at Liberty Station — have raised 86% of the money needed for construction.
The intrigue: Cygnet Theatre also unveiled a new black swan logo and a redesigned website to mark its next chapter.
