Beginning with its 2023-24 season, Arizona Theatre Company will perform at the Tempe Center for the Arts (photo courtesy of City of Tempe).

In October, Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) announced that it will move to Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) for its upcoming 2023–24 season. All shows in the current 55th Season (Oct. 20, 2022, to July 16, 2023) will be at the Herberger Theater Center, where the company has performed since the center opened in 1989.

The company says that the move to TCA aligns with its desire for more intimate and flexible theater spaces as the 55-year-old organization continues to adapt to a post-pandemic world and that TCA’s “central location and easy freeway access — together with nearby access to free parking and breathtaking views — make it an ideal presentation space for the company.” In addition, the largest percentage of the company’s patrons and single ticket buyers hail from East Valley communities including Tempe and the surrounding ZIP codes.

Over the last 32 years, Arizona Theatre Company has presented more than 200 productions with more than 3,600 performances as the largest resident theater company at the Herberger Theater Center.

“The Herberger has been a critical part of the company’s legacy as Arizona’s State Theatre, and ATC is thankful for the wonderful chapter that has been written at the iconic center in Downtown Phoenix,” the company said in a released statement.

Mark Mettes, president and CEO of the Herberger Theater Center, said that ATC’s decision will enable the Center to focus on efforts to expand and enhance its programming and include increased variety in performances.

“We have valued our relationship with ATC over the years and wish them success in the future. Although the Herberger Theater Center is disappointed with ATC’s decision to leave, we believe it creates an opportunity to accelerate our strategic planning for the future,” said Mettes. “We are currently evaluating many exciting new opportunities for performing company rentals, presenting and co-production of programs, and alternative uses of spaces for events.”

For more information, visit www.atc.org or www.herbergertheater.org.

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