Rubicon Theatre of Ventura Announces the Official Opening Of the Sandra and Jordan Laby Hall Gallery Space

Rubicon Theatre Company, Ventura's non-profit professional theatre company, is emerging from the pandemic shutdown by reimagining underutilized space in the theatre. The building is at 1006 E Main Street is owned by Rubicon, and has served as home for artistry of the organization for 24 years. As part of the re-envisioning, the downstairs Sandra and Jordan Laby Hall has been fitted out with an industry-standard gallery hanging system, offering an opportunity for visual arts to play a new and substantive role at Rubicon.

The staff and Board at the non-profit theatre tapped internationally renowned local artist MICHAEL O'KELLY to assist in the transformation of Sandra and Jordan Laby Hall. The result of the partnership is a showing of 24 pieces byO'Kelly. The show is entitled, "An Historical Eye" and includes oil paintings, dye sublimations, and gold-leaf prints, all hung downstairs at the company's 1006 E. Main Street location in Ventura. Opening Reception is Thursday, July 21 at 6:30pm. Many of the pieces exhibited were inspired by the rich history of Mexico, where O'Kelly spent formative years in the capital city, studying with Maestro Rufino Tamayo.

This collaboration between one of the largest arts organizations in Ventura and a local freelance artist is an example of how the 24-year-old Ventura institution reimagines its place in the community in the wake of the pandemic. Karyl Lynn Burns, Co-Founder and Producing Artistic Director at Rubicon, sums up the idea of the arts sector coming together, "There is enormous undeveloped potential in Ventura. We must think big and find innovative ways to strengthen our creative economy. The status quo won't do."
O'Kelly has a long and storied history in the art world. A prodigy, Michael sold his first work of art at the age of nine. By 13, he was studying with the infamous British forger, Thomas Keating.

Michael has exhibited in over forty-nine art galleries and museums on three continents, including the Commonwealth Institute, the Centro Iberoamericano in Madrid, and the Santa Barbara Museum. He's curated significant collections of ethnographic art for the Museum of Mankind (British Museum), the Binche Museum in Belgium, and the Brighton Museum in England and co-produced major international exhibitions at the Plastic Arts Museum in Moscow, the Hermitage in Russia, and the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo. In addition to creating and curating, O'Kelly has illustrated several history reference books. His exquisite handmade ceramic murals adorn the walls of Disneyland/World, along with many public buildings in Vegas, Nevada, and California.

Rubicon Theatre Company has been described as "the rising star of the Southern California cultural constellation." The not-for-profit professional regional has reached more than 480,000 attendees and 45,000 students. Rubicon serves area residents and visitors with innovative productions of classic and contemporary plays, as well as a wide array of educational programs and events. Acclaimed by critics and industry professionals, the company has received the L.A. Drama Critics Margaret Harford Special Award for "Sustained Excellence," a Drama Desk Award for the Off-Broadway production of The Best is Yet To Come and has won more than 20 Ovation Awards from the L.A. Stage Alliance.

Before the pandemic, Rubicon transferred three shows to New York (Wiesenthal - Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations; Lonesome Traveler - Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations; and Daddy Long Legs (Drama Desk Award). Rubicon has welcomed a steady stream of high-profile national and international actors and directors, including Bruno and Odiseo Birchir, Susan Clark, Dana Delaney, Conchata Ferrell, Bonnie Franklin, Harold Gould, Joel Grey, Larry Hagman, Bill Irwin, Stacy Keach, Jack Lemmon, Amanda McBroom, Ted Neeley, Paul Provenza, Linda Purl, Rondi Reed, John Ritter, Joe Spano, Bruce Weitz, Lillias White and others. Company members are George Ball, Joseph Fuqua and Jenny Sullivan.

Based in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean, Rubicon resides in a 185-seat historic church built in the 1920s. In this renovated historic landmark, audience members are never further than 10 rows from the stage on the main floor. (The balcony, which seats twenty, is available for private parties or corporate groups.)

True to the company's name and the vision of artistic directors Karyl Lynn Burns and James O'Neil, Rubicon has created an environment where commitment and risk are encouraged, and where artists are nurtured and respected. As a result, the company has gained a reputation for invigorating interpretations of the classics and for supporting the development of new works. Rubicon presents at least one World Premiere each season, as well as readings of works-in-progress.

Deeply rooted in the region it serves, Rubicon offers extensive outreach programs, including daytime matinees for high school students, after-school and weekend programs for at-risk youth, and summer musical theatre, drama and technical camps. More than 45,000 students have benefited. A board of directors of prominent social and civic leaders governs Rubicon under the leadership of Doug Halter. The company is also supported by an advisory group of regional ambassadors and a volunteer auxiliary of 50 members. For more information about Rubicon Theatre Company, or to purchase tickets, call (805) 667-2900 or go to www.rubicontheatre.org. The theatre is located at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District.