Rising Stars: Meet Charles Duncombe of Santa Monica

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Duncombe.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My wife, Frederique Michel, and I have been making theatre together for nearly 40 years–always in Santa Monica. Bergamot Station Arts Center, where we are now, is our fifth space and we’ve been here since 2010. We focus on challenging contemporary drama and re-interpreting classic texts in new and fresh ways. Our next show, which starts February 20th, is a new adaptation of Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” by noted playwright Neil LaBute. Our show before that was “Border Crisis,” a black comedy and an absurdist look at some of the things going on right now in this country. We’ve also done texts by Margaret Atwood, Kosovar playright Jeton Neziraj, the Ukrainian writer Andriy Bondarenko, and dissident Belarusian playwright Andrei Kureichik–to give you and idea of our range of work and the kinds of things we are interested in: current politics, ideas, what’s happening in contemporary society and work that addresses that.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s never been easy. An LA Times article 2018 described the company as “A long-time presenter of European avant-garde theatre, City Garage specializes in provocative, challenging material that would rarely be attempted elsewhere in LA.” That about sums it up. The audience for that kind of work is small but committed. We’re grateful for the loyalty they’ve shown us. But all nonprofits are struggling, especially in today’s political climate. Last summer we thought we might have to shut down. The money to keep going just wasn’t there and we were facing a big projected deficit. But our audience, patrons, and angel donors came through for us and we made it. We closed the gap and are starting this year in strong shape.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
A lot of smaller theatre in LA might be described as “showcase.” People are hustling to get work in the industry or push their careers or projects. But there are a significant number of companies here that are doing theatre for its own sake and dedicating themselves to the best, most authentic work they can make. We’d like to think we’re one them.

Any big plans?
The future looks uncertain. The city of Santa Monica, last February, designated Bergamot Station Arts Center as “Surplus Property”–the first step in turning it into Affordable Housing. It seems they are under a mandate from the state to provide X amount of new housing by a certain deadline and they can’t get the state to budge in order to wait for the Santa Monica airport property, which I believe comes back into the city’s control in 2028. We’re told we have two more years–this year–and next and then the process will start. There might be delays because of permits, construction plans, etc but we’re told not to expect anything beyond our current lease, which runs through 2027. So we’re really not sure where we will go after this or if we will have the resources.

Pricing:

• $ 30 general admission; $25 Seniors 7 Students

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.citygarage.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citygarge
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/citygarage

Image Credits
Photos: Paul Rubenstein