Stage Werx Theatre is Shutting Down…But There’s a Silver Lining

By Christian Simonsen and Edna Mira Raia

An Ode to Stage Werx

Another beloved San Francisco theater is ending its reign, this time in The Mission district. Stage Werx Theatre on Valencia near 16th, which has been a unique part of the local community for 11 years, will be closing in early October.

Locals lined up for an Endgames Improv jam outside of Stage Werx.

Owner, Ty Mckenzie, has provided a nurturing home for plays, comedies, stand-up and film festivals, but it will be best remembered for opening its arms to the local improv scene. The improv community consistently held classes, improv jams and shows on that stage, making fun up on the spot. Improv collective, End Games, was one that hosted regular improv jams with opportunities to sign up for stage time at the door. That’s the kind of place Stage Werx was: a place strangers could play make believe together for the first of many times. 

Those in the theater scene fondly recall Mission Solo‘s opportunities to workshop solo material, storytelling shows like Naked Dudes Reading Lovecraft and unforgettable parodies of 90s classics from Absolutely Fabulous to Edward Scissorhands. Even slips were allowed on that stage. Burlesque From the Inside Out slipped in their sex appeal and clowns slipped on banana peels at the Picklewater Clown Cabaret.

Ty has always maintained a professional yet intimate atmosphere in her high ceilinged black box. “Ty was so funny and … professional. She made everyone feel safe …. Having that kind of foundation allowed us to play and be weird without worrying that something out of our hands would go wrong while we were on stage,” said longtime Stage Werx performer Becky Hirschfield.

Ty allowed for full use of the space; it was not offbeat for artists to expand their performances to include the backstage area. “Stage Werx was at the center of some very cutting edge, innovative theater,” says Dave McKew who performed there for the Exquisite Corpse series created by the late Mikl Em. Using a script application, Exquisite Corpse audiences were encouraged to improvise with characters onstage and help script the show they were about to see. Then their contributions were quickly written up in the “green-room-turned-writers-room.”

“That space is magical,” added fellow cast member, Gaea Pet. “I loved running through the audience with a clipboard and telling people that they (had) permission to let loose, be creative and laugh.”

Two beloved producers/performers, Gerri Lawlor (L) and Mikl Em (R), who have both since passed on, but left their mark at Stage Werx and many other Bay Area theaters. Photo credit: Ken Duffy

StageWerx as it stands is closing, but through a non-existent window in the back, Dani Spinks (of Dreams on the Rocks Productions) is dreamily climbing in to renovate and create Eclectic Box. Mark your calendars for its official launch on January 1st, 2024! 

One woman’s dream of owning a venue blossomed into an epicenter of art-making in one of the most expensive cities in the world. If Ty can do it, so can you. Let’s be proactive about making and attending live theatre so we can keep this ancient art alive.

There are still chances to catch a show at Stage Werx and relish the memories one final time. 

Final performances include:

Thursday September 28th: SOLO. This night’s performers are Wayne Harris, Marga Gomez, Janet Thornburg, and the creator and producer of SOLO, Bruce Pachtman!

Friday September 29th – Saturday September 30th: SF Neo-Futurists: The Show-Stopper Wrench! All Song! All Dance!

Sunday October 1st: “Farewell And…a night of laughs with local improv troupes.” One final, FREE, improvised goodbye from seven local improv troupes, Required Taste, Puppet Party, River Witch, Adult Improv, Industrial Kitchen, Cirque Oui Et & Improv All-Stars! 

Actor Cameron Eng with Stage Werx founder and owner Ty Mckenzie. Photo credit: Ken Duffy

Stage Werx Theatre
446 Valencia Street
San Francisco

Edna Mira Raia (she/her) is a comedian, writer and producer, living in San Francisco for almost two decades. She is the founder of Potatoes Mashed Comedy, representing strangers through humor. 

Christian Simonsen (he/him) is a playwright, born and raised in San Francisco. His scripts have been produced throughout the USA and overseas in Seoul, Sydney, Oxford, and London.