Elden Street Players

The Industrial Strength Theatre is one of the very few municipal experimental theatres in the United States. Most "black box" theatres are found either on college campuses or in converted buildings of the inner city. The Elden Street Players "liberated" this warehouse from other industrial uses in November, 1988 when they staged "Freedom of the City" inside the concrete space. Following almost a year of design and construction phases, through public funding of the Town of Herndon, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the Elden Street Players, the Industrial Strength Theatre was dedicated on October 19, 1989.

You might notice that there is no real stage to separate the audience from the players. This hybrid design combines the best of an open arena stage with the single direction focus of a traditional proscenium stage. This flexibility is made possible by steep modular platforms specially made for this theatre's seating. The steep "rake" means that every seat is unobstructed and no raised stage is needed. The Elden Street Players designed the lighting grid over the performance space which provides countless angles for spotlights, all controlled by an upgraded computerized board inside the control room. None of the nearly 120 seats are further than 20 feet from the performance space, this provides for apparent "inside the set" intimacy.

The Industrial Strength Theatre is operated by the Town of Herndon through the Department of Parks and Recreation. While this facility is designed for the performing arts, it is available for rental by outside groups, organizations, and individuals. The Elden Street Players provide technical and artistic support for events in the facility by arrangement through the Department of Parks and Recreation.