Millibo Art Theatre to join Ivywild project area

The Millibo Art Theater will have a new home this summer.

The theater, which is in the middle of its fifth season at 1367 Pecan St., will relocate to 1626 S. Tejon St., in June, said Jim Jackson, co-founder and artistic director of the 11-year old theater. That location will drop them directly into the center of the growing Ivywild School neighborhood.

The new building is directly across from The Blue Star restaurant and Bristol Brewing Company. Currently, the main level of the building is occupied by St. Aidan’s Anglican Church. Playoga, a yoga studio, occupies the basement. The church will relocate in the coming months. The future of the yoga studio is yet to be determined.

The MAT will be just one more addition to a neighborhood in bloom. In March, Bristol Brewing owner Mike Bristol, Blue Star owner Joseph Coleman and architect Jim Fennell purchased the nearby Ivywild Elementary School for $1.2 million. The extensive renovation is proceeding with a plan to open as a mixed-use commercial center in February. It will be Bristol's new home along with their new German-made brewing system, and will also include a bakery and coffee and juice bar.

And the new Millibo Art Theatre will be just across the street.

“I really love the Ivywild project and neighborhood, and feel like the (old) space on 21st Street has been great, but the location is tough: it’s out of the way; it’s sort of in a semi-industrial area,” Jackson said. “It’s keeping us from growing the way we wanted to.”

The new space will have 40 more seats than the location on Pecan Street, which tops out at 85, and a bigger stage, classroom, workshop and rehearsal areas. The theater company will finish out its current season in the old space.

“A huge plus is the location and to be a part of a community,” Jackson said. “We want to position The MAT to be an arts hub for that area.”