Kirkwood Takes Center Stage

As part of a multi-phase renovation and re-branding for the existing Kirkwood Community Center, the existing Reim Theatre is being relocated to a downtown location. The facility will serve to anchor a planned Arts & Entertainment district to complement a thriving restaurant and shopping strip along Kirkwood Road, the city’s ‘main street’, which also features a children’s museum, a farmers’ market and an historic train station. The Robert G. Reim Theatre is a renowned regional draw and already home to nationally renowned theatre company Stages, as well as the Kirkwood Theatre Guild. Both companies are responsible for superior quality productions and offer a fertile testing ground for new theatre, such as Stages’ production of ‘Fun Home’, which went on to Broadway and was premiated in 2015 with five Tony awards.

The $25 million facility totals 38,000 square feet and is comprised of a 525-seat, state-of-the-art, two-level, traditional proscenium theatre and performance support spaces; a 3,000-square-foot Black Box performance theatre; a 2,000-square-foot Events Space; and a two-story atrium lobby that will serve as the face of community events. The main theatre is designed as an intimate space with the inclusion of a balcony and stage extensions to ensure proximity to the stage for theatregoers. One of the most exciting features of the project is the Black Box, which can vary in size to create a flexible stage and varied audience interaction opportunities. The Black Box is intentionally a stripped-down, intimate performance space where more experimental performance and staging can be explored, with the most human and least technical elements in focus. The Lobby and Events Space work in tandem to provide the City with unique community spaces for receptions, pre-function, special events and lease opportunities.