Central Works, a fixture of the Bay Area theater community, permanently closed its doors on September 6, 2026, after 36 years of operation. The company’s final performance featured “The Prince Parts One and Two,” two original three-act plays written and directed by Gary Graves and inspired by Niccolò Machiavelli’s “Handbook for Tyrants.” Operating out of the Julia Morgan-designed Berkeley City Club for the last 24 of its 36 years, the theater company produced 81 original plays before staging its final curtain call.
The Decision to Close
Co-directors Jan Zvaifler and Gary Graves decided to shutter the company after decades of production. Zvaifler noted in an interview with Berkeleyside that both worked hard for a long time before reaching a natural endpoint. Graves had expressed a desire to retire upon turning 70, an age he has now reached. The closure ends an era for a core artistic team characterized by multifaceted roles, where members managed everything from acting and administration to technical design.
A Wider Bay Area Theater Crisis
The closure of Central Works follows a wave of theater shutdowns across the East Bay and broader region. In 2023, both TheaterFirst and the Bay Area Children’s Theater closed their doors. CalShakes followed with a closure in 2024, and the Aurora Theatre announced its closure in 2025, though Aurora maintains plans to resurrect its operations. The closures are attributed to a combination of rising operating costs, cultural shifts in entertainment, sluggish post-pandemic audience returns, shrinking institutional funding, and a lack of regional arts philanthropy.
The Intimate Scale of the Berkeley City Club Space
Operating a small, 50-seat theater inside the Berkeley City Club presented distinct operational hurdles that ultimately defined the company’s artistic identity. Ticket sales could never cover the majority of production expenses, but the modest scale fostered a uniquely intimate atmosphere where the traditional fourth wall between actor and audience dissolved. Because the backstage area doubled as both the green room and the Berkeley City Club lobby, production designs required strict minimalism, allowing resident designers to focus squarely on the power of text and performance.
The lack of stage wings meant productions avoided elaborate set-dressing, forcing designers to rely on minute details. Resident costume designer Tammy Berlin, who joined the company in 2003, cited productions like “The Inspector General,” where tiny choices such as a ripped and repeatedly repaired pocket helped communicate character depth. Sound designer Gregory Scharpen noted that the proximity allowed actors to perform with a subtlety more typical of film acting, where a raised eyebrow or a bead of sweat communicated volumes.
A Nomadic History Prior to Berkeley
Before moving into the Berkeley City Club in 2002—taking over the space vacated by the Aurora Theatre Company—Central Works operated as a nomadic troupe for 12 years. The company staged productions across various temporary locations, including the basement of La Val’s Pizza on the northside and the sunroom at Berkeley’s Santa Fe Bar and Grill, before finally establishing its long-term home in the Julia Morgan-designed landmark.
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