The Shakespeare Theatre and The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) to Commence Construction on The Harman Center for the Arts and BAC Headquarters
Embargoed until October 28,2004

WASHINGTON—The Shakespeare Theatre and the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) announced a joint venture to develop the site at 620 F Street NW. This mixed-use development will house the headquarters for BAC and the new 800-seat Sidney Harman Hall, which along with the 450-seat Lansburgh Theatre will form the Harman Center for the Arts, home to The Shakespeare Theatre. Construction on the site will commence by the end of October 2004.The headquarters for BAC is scheduled to be completed in December 2006 and Sidney Harman Hall in spring of 2007.

“We are very pleased and proud to have BAC as our partners in this venture,” said Landon Butler, Chairman of The Shakespeare Theatre Board of Trustees. “This serendipitous arrangement came
together because of BAC’s need for new headquarters and the Theatre’s need for a second space. We are excited to work with BAC on a project that answers both our needs, creating a dynamic new mixed-use development at the center of downtown’s arts and entertainment district.”

“We are very pleased to be partners with The Shakespeare Theatre on this project, said John J. Flynn, President of BAC. “This partnership will create a headquarters’ building that all of our members will be proud of, a home for the new Harman Center, and help with the revitalization of downtown Washington—home of our Nation’s Capitol.”

The joint development agreement specifies the building of an 11-story office building, co-owned by The Shakespeare Theatre and BAC. The Shakespeare Theatre will own the first five stories; BAC will own the upper six stories, which will consist of approximately 120, 000 square feet of commercial Class-A office space. The building features a dramatic façade with a three-story glass bay that projects eight feet 2 over the sidewalk below, creating a marquee that attracts passersby to the light and movement within the theatre’s lobby. The BAC headquarters will have a separate entrance with an elegant winter garden.

The building’s architect is the Washington-based architectural firm SmithGroup Inc. The firm design team is headed by Colden (Coke) Florence. The design team for the new Sidney Harman Hall consists of A.J. (Jack) Diamond of Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated from Toronto, theatre consultant Joshua Dachs of Fisher Dachs Associates of New York City, and acoustician Rick Talaske of the Chicago-based Talaske Group, Inc. CarrAmerica Urban Development was chosen as the project developer, while Clark Construction was chosen as general contractor. JM Zell Partners, LTD. will serve as the project managers, coordinating the design work and business transaction, and representing both The Shakespeare Theatre and BAC during construction.

The Shakespeare Theatre has raised $49.65 million toward its $77.9 million goal, its portion of the project.

The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
Founded in 1865, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers’ goal is to improve our members’ quality of life—on and off the job—through access to good paying jobs, quality benefits, safe working conditions and solidarity among members. The union represents craftworkers across the United States and Canada including bricklayers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tilesetters, terrazzo and mosaic workers, and pointers/cleaners/caulkers. With more than a century of protecting the rights of our workers, BAC is the oldest continuous union in North America.

The Shakespeare Theatre and the Harman Center for the Arts
Heralded as “the nation’s foremost Shakespeare company” by The Wall Street Journal and “the best classical theatre in the country, bar none” by The Christian Science Monitor, The Shakespeare Theatre annually produces five plays in its 451-seat theatre in Washington, D.C.’s Pennsylvania Quarter and one free play in Rock Creek Park’s 3700-seat Carter Barron Amphitheatre. Artistic Director Michael Kahn has led the organization for 17 years, establishing a reputation for artistic excellence on stage as well as a series of community-minded education programs and, in 1999, the Academy for Classical Acting, a one-year MFA Acting program in conjunction with The George Washington University.

Ever looking forward, the Theatre and its Board made an announcement on December 4, 2003, that will define the Theatre’s future: the creation of the Harman Center and the building of the new Sidney Harman Hall. As the new home of The Shakespeare Theatre, the Harman Center will ensure the continuation of the Theatre’s extraordinary vision into the 21st century.

The Harman Center will make it possible for The Shakespeare Theatre to: 1. Become a destination theatre company, one that can expand its repertory of classical plays and its acting company to 3 serve audiences in Washington and across the nation; 2. Commission new translations and adaptations, and new plays that encourage writers to use language in new ways; 3. Diversify its audience and increase accessibility to its programs; and 4. Expand its mission to embrace, include and collaborate with music, dance, film and the other performing arts.

The Harman Center will provide two affordable, downtown, mid-sized, high-quality venues that will fulfill a need expressed by local, national international performing arts organizations. In collaboration with these artistic partners and using the extraordinary design flexibility of the new facility, the Center will create new perceptions, uphold high artistic standards and encourage innovation and creativity in works that challenges itself and its audiences.

At the heart of the Harman Center, The Shakespeare Theatre will continue to produce classic plays of size and scope that confront humanity’s most profound questions, enabling us to connect to our
past and gain insights into our lives and the world in which we live.

The increased facilities of the Center will allow for expanded education programming that engages students with meaningful and long-term experiences in the arts, and will contribute to the
economic vitality of downtown.

Located at the epicenter of Washington’s downtown arts and entertainment district, the Harman Center is named for Dr. Sidney Harman and the Harman family. The Harmans’ lead gift of $15 million consists of $14 million from the Harman Family Foundation (Jane and Sidney Harman) and a $1 million in-kind gift (in sound equipment and consulting services) from Harman Industries.

In addition, The District of Columbia has invested $20 million in the form of a grant. Enthusiastically supported by Mayor Anthony Williams and unanimously approved by the City Council, the grant will help the Harman Center become an economic engine for the entire downtown arts and entertainment district.

The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers represents 100,000 skilled masonry workers in the United States and Canada. It is the oldest continuously operating construction union in North America.