The Empty Space Theatre

This is such a fun spot for a date, evening with friends, or even time with family. The shows I've seen are excellent, and the actors are extremely talented. There's a little snack bar to buy (duh) snacks and drinks, including alcoholic beverages. I also love that there's a gallery with local artists and different pieces for sale. Intimate setting. Impressive sets. Lovely.

I didn't know what to expect as I've never been to The Empty Space Theatre for a show before, and that was at an old location. The new location is in an industrial area and is in a warehouse-style steel building.Once we figured out that the entrance is on the side, we lined up to go inside. Apparently, we arrived earlier than was really necessary. We showed up at 715PM for an 8PM show. The doors didn't open until a little after 730PM.The interior of the lobby is cute and has art for sale displayed on the walls and on tables. The art I saw was beautiful.Around the corner, is the concession stand. They had reasonable prices for what they offered: sodas, water, candy bars, and other small snacks.As for the theater itself, seated in the front row, we were inches from the cast at various times. This made the show more fun for my kids and me, though I was worried at times about my long legs tripping the cast or crew, this never happened.The show we saw was Peter and the Starcatcher. The show was well-performed in every way. Based on this experience, I'll gladly see another show at this theater. The pricing was very reasonable. I believe adults were $25 for this show, and students/seniors, were $20. I assume that is a typical price for this theater, but I am not sure about that.

First time here at the Empty Space Theatre! And ohhhh wow, did they knock my socks off! I was fortunate enough to catch the Full Monty Musical. It was an amazing show! The cast was incredible! Full on singing, dancing, humor and just spectacular talent! The staff was kind and friendly. Must be vaccinated and show proof (love that!) and yes you wear a mask during the show (not a big deal at all). Must protect guests as much as possible. They serve local beers and even some hard seltzer's. I can't wait to see what's in store in future shows! I'll be back.

I've mostly watched their children's productions when my kids or their friends perform after a workshop session. Cute little theater... very intimate & interactive theater experience. There aren't any bad seat in the house! Most shows are free and ask for a donation to come watch. Also watched V-Day here. This theater totally support a lot of good cause. I have yet to come see their Rocky Horror Picture Show when they have them again! Heard it's so much fun! They also host art shows supporting local artists. Definitely a great place to go if you are looking for some night of entertainment!

I had just left pizzaville U.S.A., and I was walking back to my car when out of no where a snake came slithering right towards me. A FUCKING SNAKE!! I backed away, not really knowing what to do, but the snake kept moving towards me. This snake was not huge, but bigger than any I had ever seen, which is not many, for I don't live near any place snakes would be. Which is why this was a bit shocking to me.Then as I was backing away a man came out the building I was next to (The Empty Space Theatre), he had broad shoulders and once he saw what I was backing up from he yelled "Get behind me!!" And I did. The man stretched out his arms and yelled with a deep voice, "Or not to be!!". The snake then slithered away. The man's name was Bob, and when I asked him where he learned how to handle snakes, he said he never did.....he was acting.My jaw dropped to the floor. I had heard of acting before, but I had never seen it up close. He invited me in, they had snacks in the lobby, and I watched a play about a sad man. The acting was great, and the snacks were great, and the best part, you guessed it, no snakes.5 STARS!!

Okay, I'm a little biased because I used to be on the artistic board at The Empty Space... but they consistently put on some of the best theatre in Bakersfield. And even if it's not the best theatre, TES dares to produce works that no other local theatres will touch. It's an intimate little blackbox with an attached art gallery, and it was my second home for a good two years.Once considered the "edgy" theatre in town, TES has inspired other theatres to begin offering more thought-provoking and avant-garde material -- and any Bakersfield artist will tell you how important that is. The theatre has branched out to include Shakespeare classics, professional puppet shows, late-night sketch comedy, family-friendly works, black comedies, experimental new plays, traditional musicals, unconventional musicals, music festivals, poetry, film and documentary screenings, gallery exhibits, stand-up comedy, karaoke nights, improvisational theatre, fairs, fundraisers, and more. Though the "TES community" has gone through dozens of transformations, the artists are generally good people who try to make do with a very small budget, rough space, and few resources.The theatre has its faults, of course, but I know firsthand how hard it is to run the place, so I have to extend kudos to everyone involved. I've also had some of my best show experiences at this place, and now that I'm no longer there, I understand how many truly fantastic opportunities I had and how unique the theatre really is... even living in SF, there are few theatres quite like TES.

What is there to say about live theater other than... KEEP IT ALIVE!!! if you get a chance to catch a live performance here, do it! Whether it be a original piece or a classic, something about watching a story playout in front of your very eyes is very entertaining.

The Empty Space is my favorite live theater in Bakersfield. It's small; it's intimate; it's daring; it's vibrant. I can't find enough adjectives to encompass all the ways it is ahead of its time. They do classic plays from Greek or Shakespearean eras; they do edgy, independent productions; they do musicals. They've done Bent and Rocky Horror Show; they've done Twelfth Night and Avenue Q. They are constantly evolving, bringing in new talent and directors, while our favorites appear several times a year as well. They have been huge supporters of Eve Ensler's Vday, helping to raise thousands of dollars for the Alliance Against Family Violence. Most shows are free with a suggested donation of $15, although they sometimes have special charity nights where it's a flat $20 at the door. The have Square now so they can take credit & debit cards.Late night productions tend toward raw & bawdy stuff, often extemporaneous comedies where the actors are basically making it up as they go. It can be hilarious, but it's not for youngsters or uber-conservative types. If you don't mind sex jokes, dildo jokes, hairy armpit jokes, late night is the way to go. For $5, it's a steal!Stop by the gallery as you enter and you'll see works by local artists or photographers, sometimes sculptures, too. The concessions are simple, candy, popcorn, sometimes baked goods, sodas, water, sometimes beer & wine. One nice thing about the Space is if you are strapped for cash and want to see a play, they will often trade tickets for volunteers at the concession stand for the night. This is maybe 30 minutes of easy work, and you get to see a great show. You do need to call ahead to make these arrangements; if they already have volunteers, you'll have to choose another night, or go ahead and donate.

I love smaller venues and this theatre is perfect along with fair pricing. There is even a bar and private seating, can you believe that!(?)

Plays and art !! Just watched ( wait until dark ) what a great show... 1. It's donation based (free) SO DON'T BE CHEAP EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS2. the artist are good at what they do 3. It's clean small but plenty of seating (you can make reservations)4. They have a snack bar 5. The bathrooms are clean women and men share (they have the soft toilet paper ) 6. Friendly staff and you can meet the actors after the show..