The Ruskin Group Theatre will officially open the doors to its new permanent home with a public ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday at 2800 Airport Avenue, capping a years-long journey that transformed a potential existential threat into one of the Westside's most ambitious cultural renovation projects.
The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and marks the completion of a rehabilitation project that created the Ruskin Arts Center, a facility that includes two dedicated performance stages, rehearsal studios, educational spaces and a lobby designed to serve as a cultural gathering place for the surrounding community.
"What began as a warning became a blueprint," Producing Artistic Director Mikey Myers said of a process that stretched across nearly seven years, survived a global pandemic and ultimately cost approximately $1.4 million.
The road to Saturday's ceremony began in 2018, when the City of Santa Monica ordered structural and safety assessments on the South Side Hangars at the Santa Monica Airport, where the Ruskin had long operated. As those reports circulated, Myers and theatre founder John Ruskin quickly grasped that the findings could threaten the company's future.
Rather than accept displacement, the two entered into direct negotiations with Airport Director Stelios Makrides, who valued the Ruskin's presence on the campus but was candid about what a permanent solution would require. The city, Makrides explained, could commit to rehabilitating the shell of the building at 2800 Airport Avenue — bringing it up to structural and safety standards — but if the Ruskin wanted a fully realized home with purpose-built stages, rehearsal rooms and professional infrastructure, the responsibility for that transformation would rest with the company itself.
Myers initially believed the project could be accomplished for around $600,000. Makrides cautioned that municipal construction realities would likely push the number far higher. Then the pandemic hit, halting progress entirely and forcing a full recalibration of cost, timing and scope. When construction resumed, post-pandemic economic conditions, code compliance requirements and accessibility upgrades pushed the final bill to approximately $1.4 million.
The Ruskin raised it.
The fundraising campaign that made the rehabilitation possible raised approximately $1.5 million, drawing on a wide base of supporters rather than a handful of large gifts.
Donors included longtime audience members, artists who have worked with the company, alumni of the Ruskin School of Acting and supporters from across the country, though Myers noted that the campaign was primarily anchored by the local community.
"It reflected a broad base of people who care deeply about keeping artist-driven theatre alive on the Westside," he said.
The public-private partnership with the City of Santa Monica, combined with that community-driven fundraising effort, ultimately transformed what could have been the end of the Ruskin's story into the beginning of its next chapter — one its founders hope will serve the neighborhood for generations.
The completed Ruskin Arts Center represents a significant expansion of what the company can offer both artistically and programmatically.
The facility includes the Kaplan Family Stage and the Audre Stage — two distinct performance environments that allow productions with greater technical scope to run alongside smaller plays, readings, comedy and music programming simultaneously. Upgraded seating, improved sightlines, modern lighting and sound systems and a new patio area round out the patron experience. The venue also holds a Type 64 liquor license, enabling a licensed bar and gathering space that Myers said changes the rhythm of an evening for audiences.
"Patrons can arrive early, stay after the show, and actually spend time in the space rather than just come and go for the performance," he said.
The new configuration also allows the Ruskin to pursue programming that was previously out of reach. The theatre is developing a listening room-style music series modeled on intimate venues like Hotel Cafe and the Bluebird Cafe, where audiences can experience songwriters and musicians up close.
"The Ruskin is evolving from a single theatre venue into a small performing arts center on the Westside," Myers said, "supporting theatre, music, readings, and artist development — all while maintaining the intimacy and artistic focus that has defined the theatre since its founding."
Founded in 2002 by John Ruskin, the company has grown into one of Los Angeles' most respected 99-seat theatres, drawing playwrights and performers including Marcia Cross, Dylan McDermott, Rob Morrow and Amin Joseph over more than two decades of production.
The Ruskin has long positioned itself as what Myers describes as a working artists' theatre — not a presenting venue, but a space that develops and produces work alongside a creative community. Beyond mainstage productions, the company has functioned as an educational and cultural resource, offering affordable ticket prices and an accessible environment where emerging playwrights can hear their work performed, actors can develop their craft in front of live audiences, and community members can engage with live theatre as a recurring part of their lives.
That mission is what made the prospect of losing the physical space so consequential. For the Ruskin's artists, audiences and neighbors, the theatre represented something increasingly rare: a consistent cultural gathering place where relationships deepen season after season.
The ribbon cutting arrives on the heels of the critically praised launch production of "Honour," directed by Max Mayer and starring Cross and Matthew Letscher, which has already introduced the new space to audiences.
The inaugural season continues across both stages in the weeks ahead. Jessica Lia brings her solo show "I'm Still Not That Girl" to the Kaplan Stage on March 22, followed by the Hot Club of Los Angeles inaugurating the new Audre music series on March 28. Steve Fife's "Blue Kiss" opens on the Audre Stage on April 10.
The long-running L.A. Café Plays, now entering its 244th installment, continues its tradition of same-day writing, rehearsal and performance. In May, the Ruskin will present "Grangeville" by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sam Hunter.
The ribbon cutting ceremony is free and open to the public. The Ruskin Arts Center is located at 2800 Airport Avenue in Santa Monica.