Episode 12: Z Space

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A transcript, lightly edited for clarity and length, follows.

Show Guests: Rose Oser, Associate Artistic Director and Shafer Mazow, Managing Director of Z Space

Voices of the Community Introduction: Welcome to voices of the community which explores critical issues facing Northern California communities. We introduce you to the voices of community thought leaders and change makers who are working on solutions that face our fellow individual community members neighborhoods cities and our region. This is George Koster your host. 

Series Introduction: This episode is part of a series of interviews we conducted through our participation in the Bay Area Video Coalition’s TV Show titled San Francisco Nonprofits Spotlight. The interviews were conducted via Zoom from April to June 2020 during the height of the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Shelter in Place requirements. The goal of the series is to shine a spotlight on the nonprofits and their staff who are struggling to deal with the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on their operations, services and sustainability. The series of interviews we conducted features voices from a cross section of organizations that make up the fabric of our community.  Each of them brings a unique perspective on how they and we are dealing with the issues facing our community during the pandemic.  

Show Guest Rose: I don't think every venue is going to survive this. I don't think our staffs will necessarily be the same size. So, I think this is a moment, or an opportunity to really think about how we can collaborate in a, much broader sense and how the arts community can come together. I think a lot of theaters branded based on, um, one vision or one aesthetic. And I think we need let go of that to some extent, so that we can really survive as an artistic community and uplift each other during this time.  

Episode Intro - Show Host George: In this episode we feature the voices of Rose Oser, Associate Artistic Director and Shafer May Mazow the Managing Director of Z Space. Z Space has become one of the nation’s leading laboratories for developing new voices, new works, and new opportunities in American theater. Z Space’s performances span a variety of disciplines, including theater, dance, visual art, music and performance art.  

Through its Z Space New Works program, the organization develops unique works from initial concept to on-stage production. Z Space also provides technical residencies in which artists can make use of the entire facility, including the stage, lights and sound system to test and develop their concepts. 

Show Host George: I'm joined remotely via zoom by Rose Oser, Associate Director and Schafer Mazow, the Managing Director of Z Space. Thanks for being here, Rose and Schaefer. And, so Rose. I want to turn to you first and just have you provide, an overview of, what is Z Space and how does Z Space work with artists and art organizations here in San Francisco? 

Show Guest Rose: Great. Z space is a nonprofit organization based in the mission district of San Francisco.  Our mission is to empower artistic risk in the service of creating new work. And by new work, we mean theater. We mean dance. We mean opera music, multidisciplinary work, everything. And we have an interesting model.

That's a hybrid of self-produced work and also, presenting other work from other organizations. So, over the course of a year, we generally see 50 arts organizations or independent producers produce work in our space. And we have work year-round, in Z Space, which is our 244-seat theater and Z Below, which seats 80. 

And we operate out of, a former canning factory. So, it's a big warehouse space with very unique architecture, which allows artists to explore new work in other creative ways as well. We have a technical residency program where artists get professional resources and technical equipment to, really focus on their artistic process. So, we are process oriented rather than product oriented. We're all about what the artist needs and where they are in their development process, to create exciting new work.  

George: Thank you. That was great Rose.  So, Schafer, I'm going to turn to you and ask if you could please, share with the audience how the COVID-19 epidemic is really impacted the production and work of Z Space and how it operates. And clearly, we're still not to a place where we're gonna allow people to come back into theaters. So how has it impacted you guys and what are you doing to address it?  

Show Guest Shafer: So, our business is bringing large groups of people together in a space to share live work. So, the current mandates and, risks of the pandemic and shut down all of our business. So, our venues are closed at the moment, and have been closed since, March 12th. When I think the official shelter in place, was announced. So we are, unable to conduct our normal business. We're named unable to bring in artists to develop work in our space.  

We're essentially, waiting for guidance of what sort of gatherings will be allowed and how, uh, how, and when we can safely open our space again. Early in the pandemic prior to the shelter in place, we were very conscious of, the common crisis and people's comfort levels and health risks and needs. So, we did even before the shelter in place ended up canceling performances of shows, and having to, close the venue to some of our rental clients early on. 

You know, as Rose said, we produce our own work, but a great deal of what our business is presenting the work of others. So, we have ah a curated rental program. So, all of the shows and, slots we had booked between March and well now we're imagining through the end of this summer that people had, rented our space for their own productions. Those productions have had to be canceled or postponed. We are holding spots in future dates for those rental clients and producers, but with the uncertainty, nobody knows when we'll be able to resume, our core business again. 

George: Rose you guys have been around for several decades. What's been the largest impact of Z Space on our community both I think in a cultural art but as well as in economic and psychological?  

Rose: I think Z Space, is known really for having, a focus on the artist and the development process. And because of that, we're able to experiment, with work that's at various stages of development. So, artists, can come into our space and choose what they need to explore. And that also means audiences have an opportunity to better understand, the life cycle of a new work and what it takes to Polish a show, so to speak. I think we also, you know, our model of curating new work also means that, we're different from other theater companies because we're not just operating under one artistic vision. And I think that's actually really important in a broader sense of what it means to distribute power and who gets to make art. 

Um, that a lot of theaters have one artistic director. That's deciding the seven shows that happened that year. But we're really collaborating with a lot of other artistic directors, um, artistic directors of other dance companies and opera companies and figuring out what they're working on and making. We don't call it a season, but making a, uh, a list of shows, aah curated a year of shows that includes many artistic visions and voices. So, I think, that's really, essential.  

George: And Shafer, what are some of the needs that, the Z Space team is seeing out there with regards to artists and organizations, and then more importantly, how can people in our community get involved in supporting, your efforts? 

Shafer: Well, I think, as every organization that is shuttered at the moment, we're, you know, our financial situation is precarious. So, we are grateful to have received one of the Paycheck Protection Program loans that is keeping us able to employ our staff and provide some, funding for like our on-call staff. So that's front of house and house techs and teaching artists, but after the end of the Paycheck Protection Program, period, we'll have some real financial, decisions to make. I think the one thing we are all focused on is the broader artistic community that Z Space supports and that calls Z Space home. 

So, we have a full-time staff and we have some on-call staff, but the artists that perform work, present, work, produce work, they don't have secure, funding. So, we've been trying to promote, the Performing Artists Worker's Fund, which is a program of Theater Bay Area, of which I'm a board member. Who's giving direct grants to performing arts workers right now who you know, they rely on, part time on call work. 

And in this moment in time where there's just no work to be had, we are really thinking about those artists who don't have the support structure that we can as full time staff and, remaining connected with our community and that artists are feeling supported both in terms financially, but in terms of being, you know, collectively thought of and considered part of the family and how to be taken care of. So, I would say as much as we need support for Z Space financially, we need support for independent artists and arts workers as well in this time of crisis.  

George: And so, where would, an audience member go when they go to your website? Is there a special campaign you have going for the COVID-19? How would they support an artist and also Z Space?  

Shafer: So, you can support Z Space by going to www.zspace.org and hit the donate button. We do not have a specific COVID-19 campaign at the moment. We're really trying to look holistically about what Z Space needs, what resources we have and where we can share with the community.  

Now, the Performing Artists Worker's Fund is run through Theater Bay Area. So, you can go to their website, which is www.theatrebayarea.org/and directly donate to support, an artist in need right now. And I think also while we don't have a specific campaign going, we are regularly communicating with our audiences just to stay in touch, to keep, our artistic, lives and communities going. So you can sign up for our mailing list also at www.zspace.org, um, and stay in touch with us as we try to keep the artistic community of Z Space going and the broader community of the Bay Area's, artistic, ecology going as well.  

George: Thank you. And then we're going to make sure that the audience has all your contact information as well. I think the final question would be, I'm going to direct this to you, Rose. What would you hope to see, as positive things coming out of the pandemic?  

Rose: Yeah, Really, since Z Space’s inception in 1993, Z Space has been all about sharing resources. I think Word for Word is a great example of that. The way we have a resident company with its own artistic directors, but under our roof and over the course of the Z Space history, we've experimented with other models of sharing space with other companies. Uh, not just on the stage, but also our office desk.  

And I think for any arts organization to survive this pandemic, we're going to need to get rid of our egos and think more and more about how to share space and share resources. I don't think every venue is going to survive this. I don't think our staffs will necessarily be the same size.  

So, I think this is a moment, or an opportunity to really think about how we can collaborate in a, in a much broader sense and how the arts community can come together. I think a lot of theaters branded based on, um, one vision or one aesthetic. And I think we need let go of that to some extent, so that we can really survive as an artistic community and uplift each other during this time.  

George: Thank you, Rose and Shaffer for sharing, all of your wonderful work at Z Space and, please stay safe and healthy out there as we work our way through, some crazy times. And, I look forward to, seeing, live theater as Z Space, and love, uh, what you guys do. So, thank you so much,  

Rose: Thanks George,  

Shafer: Thank you George, 

Episode Outro - Show Host George: That’s it for this episode of voices of the community. You have been listening to the voices of Rose Oser, Associate Artistic Director and Shafer Mazow the Managing Director of Z Space. As the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to take lives and wreak havoc on our communities, there are ongoing conversations within arts and cultural organizations about how to survive.  

Based on the State of California’s phased in approach to re-opening the economy, the performing arts sector is in the last phase of the reopening which will probably be in the fall or winter of 2020. Z Space and their collective art organizations are working together to both find a way through this historical moment and to help the artistic community at large to get through this. The Z Space community is committed to the art of live performance, to hosting artists and audiences from a multitude of communities, and to creating work that speaks to the moment -- whatever that moment may be.           

Series Outro: We hope that you have enjoyed the insights, points of view and personal stories from the voices of change makers and their nonprofits featured in the series. To find out more and get engaged with the nonprofit and staff members, featured in this episode please go to my web site georgekoster.com and click on Voices of the Community to find links to this episode. Please consider a donation and volunteering to provide a hand up to your fellow community members.

Series Credits: I want to thank my associate producer Eric Estrada as well as the wonderful team at Bay Area Video Coalition. Go to www.bavc.org to find out more about Bay Area Video Coalition’s services. To listen to our next episode in this series and to our archived past shows which feature community voices working on solutions to critical issues facing Northern California communities, please go to georgekoster.com. While you are on our website please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows like this. Please rate us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and share this story with your friends. Follow us on twitter @georgekoster and please email us at george@georgekoster.com. I'm George Koster in San Francisco and thank you for listening. 

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