One of the blights of the 14th Street revitalization (or whatever you want to term it – pick your poison) has been the sad case of Source Theatre, whose long demise has taken it from a vibrant theater space to a rent-out to a black hole complete with constant graffiti. I’ve no desire to get into the reasons why – this is a hotly debated topic in the theater community – however I’ve long hoped that it would be able to rise out of its financial mire and become the force for a new dynamic on the block, much as Studio did for 14th and P. It seemed truly bizarre that as the block of 14th between S and T transformed into a happening urban destination, the theater was unable to take advantage of this upswing, and declined. And now, Theater Boy is reporting that Source is being sold to the owners of Bedrock Billiards (Aroma, Buffalo, et al), who plan to open a bar in the space.
I’m torn in two directions at this news – one, sadness at that what could have been, a great theater space two blocks from my house, and two, happiness that another low-key watering and gathering place will open up and provide a complement to a block that already houses Saint-Ex, Bar Pilar, Black Cat, and not to mention some of the best and quirkiest retail going. It seems such a wasted opportunity on the one hand, and yet more of a waste to have that space remain graffiti littered and black night after night…
This post appeared in its original form at DC Metblogs
As one of the founding editors of We Love DC, Jenn’s passions are theater and cocktails. After two decades in the city, she’s loved every quirky, mundane, elegant, rude minute of her DC life. A proud advocate for DC’s talented drinks scene, she’s judged the Corcoran Gallery of Art’s ARTINI contest, the DC Rickey Month contest, the Jefferson Hotel’s Quill Cocktail competition, and is a founding member of LUPEC DC. A graduate of Catholic University’s drama program, she toured the country as a member of National Players, and has been both an actor and a costume designer before jumping the aisle to theater criticism. Writing for We Love DC restored her happiness after a life-threatening illness, and she’s grateful to you, dear readers. Send your suggestions to jenn (at) welovedc (dot) com and follow her on Twitter.
