BAM opening black-box theatre behind Gilman Opera House

The Brooklyn Academy of Music has announced plans to open a new black-box theatre behind its Gilman Opera House.

Variety reports that BAM, located in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, will open a 263-seat black box theatre to be named in honor of late BAM supporter Richard B. Fisher. The new venue, which is aiming for a 2013 debut, will be in use by BAM for half of the year and made available to the local arts community for low-cost rental during the other half.

The new space will be a flexible black box, allowing for reconfigured seating and playing spaces. This offers artists a contrast to BAM's other venues, the proscenium Harvey Theatre and the Gilman Opera House. BAM hopes to break ground on the black box in the fall.

BAM currently presents The Cherry Orchard, the inaugural production of the Bridge Project, a collaboration between BAM, The Old Vic and Sam Mendes' Neal Street Productions that unites actors from both sides of the Atlantic. [Playbill]