February 28, 2008

San Jose Repertory Theatre sign to honor the Hammers

The city of San Jose, San Jose Redevelopment Agency and San Jose Repertory Theatre will honor former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer and Board Trustee Phil Hammer on March 3 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at 101 Paseo de San Antonio (between Second and Third streets). The event was originally scheduled for January 2008, but was postponed due to weather conditions.

Stilt walkers will unveil the new theatre sign honoring the Hammers during the ceremony. Mayor Chuck Reed, Councilmember San Liccardo, Harry Mavrogenes, executive director for the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, Timothy Near, artistic director for the Rep, Nick Nichols, managing director of the Rep Theatre and Richard Braugh, Board of Trustees of the Rep will join the Hammers.

The San Jose Repertory Theatre was founded in 1980 and produced its first season at the Montgomery Theater in 1981. In November 1997, the company opened the doors of a dramatically designed state-of-the-art building on Paseo de San Antonio. The project was made possible through a partnership with the city of San Jose, the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and the San Jose Repertory Theatre Company.

The new venue has allowed the company to grow and serve local audiences and youth with quality performances and outreach. Naming the San Jose Repertory Theatre's downtown building after Susan Hammer and Phil Hammer is a recognition of the Hammers' support for the arts and more than 40 years of service and leadership in San Jose.

As mayor, Susan Hammer led the effort to build a permanent home for the Rep when she made the project a priority for the San Jose Redevelo-pment Agency in 1991. Phil Hammer was a key participant in the San Jose Rep's fundraising efforts. The San Jose Redevelopment Agency contributed $28.5 million to the project, and the theatre company raised $3.2 million. The Redevelopment Agency invested $60,000 in the sign.