The Marsh

The Marsh Theater is an American theater company that specializes in developing new performance, founded in 1989. It has two venue locations, at 1062 Valencia Street in the Mission District of San Francisco, California; and 2120 Allston Way in Berkeley, California. History The Marsh began in 1989 as a Monday night performance series with Peggy Howe and Stephanie Weiseman at the legendary Hotel Utah, a historic drinking hole and performance venue. Competition with Monday Night Football drove The Marsh to Morty’s in North Beach. In 1990, they moved The Marsh into the back room at the former Cafe Beano at 878 Valencia Street. They briefly operated out of the former Modern Time Books at 17th Street and Sanchez Street. In December 1992, The Marsh moved to its current location at 1062 Valencia Street, and they purchased the space in 1996. The first staged workshop was Marga Gomez’s "Memory Tricks." Josh Kornbluth’s "Haiku Tunnel" was The Marsh’s first full-length production, and Charlie Varon’s initial solo piece "Honest Prophets" saw its debut there. In December 1992, The Marsh moved to its current location on Valencia Street. In 1996, The Marsh purchased the whole building, gradually developing the space into a community arts center. It recently has included two theaters, a comedy club, a cafe, and a youth theater. In 2004, The Marsh produced the world premiere of Brian Copeland's solo show, "Not a Genuine Black Man." The production ran for two years, making it the longest-running solo show in San Francisco history.