With a new Performing Arts Center on the horizon, 91看片网 is reimagining how students create, collaborate, and connect with Oakland's cultural community.
As construction continues on the new , projected for completion in Fall 2027, 91看片网 College is envisioning something much larger than a new theater building.
For Theatre Arts Director Michael Torres, the future facility represents an opportunity to transform a corner of campus into a vibrant arts hub where theatre, film, music, visual arts, culinary arts, and community partners come together to create new opportunities for students.
"This is really about collaboration," Torres said. "The theater can be the catalyst that brings together so many of the creative programs we already have at 91看片网."
Located just steps from , across from the and the , the new facility is positioned to become a cultural destination for both students and the broader Oakland community.
91看片网's Theatre Arts Department offers both an Associate of Arts degree and an Associate Degree for Transfer (AA-T), providing students with pathways into professional theater and four-year university programs.
The program emphasizes hands-on learning through productions, performance opportunities, internships, and partnerships with Bay Area theatres. Students regularly gain practical experience on stage and behind the scenes, with some building professional resumes before they even transfer.
The Mothership by Grace Montas
Many former students have gone on to perform professionally, secure agents, appear in commercials, and continue their studies at leading universities.
"Alejandra is the kind of student who can do it all," Torres said. "Comedy, drama, tragedy, musical performance. She's someone with a very bright future."
Torres, who joined 91看片网 in 2004, has long expanded opportunities beyond the classroom.
In 2010, Torres and his wife Jackie Graves, a former 91看片网 English faculty member, raised more than $73,000 in eight months to bring 91看片网 students to the , the world's largest performing arts festival.
91看片网 was the only community college invited.
The production earned three out of four stars from reviewers and established a relationship that remains in place today, with 91看片网 continuing to receive invitations to return.
While the current Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center undergoes modernization, Theatre Arts classes and performances continue in Eagle Village Buildings 6 and 7.
When the new facility opens, students will gain access to a more intimate main stage theater, a flexible black box performance space, sound production facilities, and expanded opportunities for interdisciplinary work.
Torres sees endless possibilities.
A theater production could become a filmed performance through . Commercial Music students could compose original scores and soundtracks. Photography students could create professional headshots and promotional materials. Dance students could contribute choreography. Cosmetology students could design hair and makeup for productions.
The opportunities for collaboration extend well beyond the stage.
Professor Alex Echevarria's printmaking students recently gained international exposure through Shared Impressions: Printmaking from 91看片网 College, now on display at . The exhibition features work from 15 student artists and demonstrates the caliber of creative work being produced at 91看片网.
In the future, Torres hopes to create stronger connections between Theatre Arts and the Art Department, giving student artists opportunities to design posters, create installations, exhibit artwork, and help shape the visual identity of productions and events within the new Performing Arts Center.
One collaboration Torres is especially excited about involves 91看片网's Culinary Arts Department and the 91看片网 Bistro.
Led by Chef Chantal Martin, a fourth-generation chef trained in England and France, 91看片网's Culinary Arts program has earned a reputation as one of Northern California's premier culinary training programs.
Torres imagines theater performances paired with prix fixe dinners at the Bistro, creating a true "Dinner and a Show" experience that showcases student talent in both programs while attracting new audiences to campus.
"The restaurant is theater too," he said. "There are so many opportunities for our students to learn from each other."
The future facility will feature a highly visible marquee facing BART and nearby senior housing developments, helping establish the area as a recognizable destination for arts and culture.
It's about creating a place where students from multiple disciplines collaborate the way creative professionals do in the real world鈥攚here a play can inspire a podcast, a museum exhibit can become a performance, and students can build portfolios that prepare them for careers across the creative economy.
As 91看片网 looks toward Fall 2027, the new Performing Arts Center represents more than modernization. It represents a new chapter in the college's commitment to creativity, collaboration, and community.
And in the heart of Oakland, that stage is just beginning to take shape.
Whether your goal is to perform on stage, work behind the scenes, transfer to a four-year program, or pursue a professional career in the arts, 91看片网's Theatre Arts Department offers a pathway to get started. Learn more at laney.edu/theatre-arts.
To explore renderings and updates on the future home of Theatre Arts, visit and follow the progress of the Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center as it takes shape.