The Marsh

The Marsh is a vibrant performing arts center located in San Francisco, California, with an additional venue in Berkeley. Founded in 1989 by Stephanie Weisman, The Marsh has established itself as a breeding ground for new performance, providing a nurturing environment for artists to develop and present their work. History: The inception of The Marsh can be traced back to a Monday night performance series initiated by Stephanie Weisman and her first collaborator, Peggy Howe, at the Hotel Utah in 1989. This series quickly gained popularity, particularly at a time when solo performance was burgeoning in San Francisco. The success of these early performances led The Marsh to relocate to Morty's in North Beach and subsequently to the back room of Café Beano on Valencia Street, now Café Ethiopia. Here, The Marsh began to host an impressive array of performances, with up to seven shows a week. The Marsh's first full-length production was Josh Kornbluth's "Haiku Tunnel," which later became a feature film. Marga Gomez's "Memory Tricks" and Charlie Varon's "Honest Prophets" were among the initial pieces to be workshopped and debuted at The Marsh. After a brief period at the old Modern Times Bookstore location, The Marsh found a permanent home in December 1992 at 1062 Valencia Street, a space formerly occupied by the jazz club Bajones. In 1996, The Marsh secured its future by purchasing the 12,000 square foot building, which now houses two theaters, a comedy club, a cafe, and a youth theater. The vision of The Marsh continued to expand with the opening of a new theater in the Gaia Building in Berkeley's art district. The organization has also developed collaborative relationships with other Bay Area theaters, such as the Luther Burbank Center in Santa Rosa, the Dance Palace in Point Reyes, and the Sonoma Community Center. Vision: The name "The Marsh" was inspired by the time Stephanie Weisman spent living in a house on stilts on the Delaware Bay. The dynamic ecosystem of the marsh, with its rich biodiversity and fecundity, served as a metaphor for the creative and transformative potential of the performing arts within an urban environment. The Marsh is committed to fostering transformation, possibilities, and community. It encourages audience members to become more actively involved in the arts, whether through workshops, sing-along nights, volunteering, internships, or even performing. The Marsh Youth Theater (MYT) exemplifies this commitment by offering high-quality skill-building classes and programs for youth in San Francisco, including storytelling, dance, drumming, and digital storytelling. MYT's Teen Program, "Voices of Youth: Expressing Yourself in Challenging Times," provides a platform for young people to express themselves through various art forms. The Marsh continues to be a hub for artistic development, providing opportunities for both audiences and performers to engage with the arts at every level. With a diverse range of shows, workshops, and community programs, The Marsh remains a cornerstone of the San Francisco and Berkeley arts communities.