Aurora Gets Certified As First 'Green' Theater in Bay Area

Aurora Theatre Company announced today its official status as the first certified "green" professional residential theater company in the Bay Area, per the Alameda County Green Business Program and the Bay Area Green Business Program. According to Aurora Theatre Company Technical Director and Production Coordinator Chris Killion, who spearheaded the company's efforts to go green, Aurora made the decision to go green because "the staff and administration felt it was the right thing to do. There were also systems in place, like the Bay Area Green Business Association, that enabled us and helped us meet that goal."

While the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek and Lincoln Theater in Yountville have been certified as green businesses, they are venues that host a variety of performances throughout the year, and do not have a resident company. In San Francisco, Eth-No-Tec is a green-certified business, but does not have a regular theater performance venue. Aurora Theatre Company is the only green-certified business that also has a resident theater.

In order to meet qualifications to be green-certified, Aurora Theatre Company set up in-house recycling and composting. The company also began utilizing paper that contained as much post-consumer content as possible, changed all cleaning products used in the facility to biodegradable, less harmful green cleaners and soaps, installed restrictions of water flow on all faucets, and reduced gallons per flush in restrooms. All facility lighting meets Title 24 standards and all exit signs are now LED lights; there is a time-of-use meter on Aurora's electrical service. Certified green materials were also used in the construction of the company's recently-opened Nell and Jules Dashow wing.

As a result of Aurora's greening efforts, the company has significantly reduced its carbon footprint and is generating significantly less trash. Additionally, Aurora's decision to go green provides an opportunity for audiences visiting the theater to participate in being environmentally friendly as well, even if they don't practice being green at home.

Aurora Theatre Company continues its 18th season in October with Neil LaBute's FAT PIG (October 30-December 6), directed by Barbara Damashek. The jingle bells will rock in December with a new edition of Aurora Theatre Company's original holiday production THE COVERLETTES COVER CHRISTMAS. Aurora Theatre Company Artistic Director Tom Ross helms the World Premiere of Joel Drake Johnson's THE FIRST GRADE in conjunction with this year's GAP new works festival in January, and Aurora Theatre Company founding Artistic Director Barbara Oliver returns to direct Henrik Ibsen's masterwork John Gabriel BORKMAN in April. Closing the season in June is the Bay Area Premiere of Stephen Karem's innovative comedy SPEECH & DEBATE directed by Robin Stanton.

For more information about Aurora Theatre Company, or for tickets ($15-55) to upcoming productions, the public can call (510) 843-4822 or visit auroratheatre.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.