As the flood waters subside in San Jose, the situation looks muddy for the Northside Theatre Company. The theater, in its 38th season, is located close to Coyote Creek, and nobody is allowed in without an official escort.
Managing Artistic Director Meredith King has been in to assess the situation and says the city will assess the flood damage and handle the cleanup. “I’m told it should take several weeks,” she says. For now, she’s busy reading the fine print on the theatre’s insurance policy. “We have an indemnity policy against injury. More than that, I don’t know.”
The theatre immediately canceled future performances of David Mamet’s Oleanna, which had been scheduled to run through March 5. But a neighborhood savior turned up in the form of the San Jose Stage Company, which offered its venue for two nights: March 3 and March 4.
“We would not be fulfilling our mission if we did not open our doors to them,” said spokesman Clinton Williams. “Community and collaboration is at the heart of our organization.”
Fans are encouraged to visit Northside’s Facebook page for updates. Numerous commenters expressed sympathy for the theater, including Anne Gelhaus of San Jose: “Please let me know if you need clean-up volunteers,” she wrote. “I hope there’s not too much mucking out to be done.”
