Pear Avenue Theatre, A Decade of Entertainment

Just down the street from the in Mountain View, tucked away in the corner of an apartment complex, the consistently aims to please and surprise people.

The front portion of the cozily intimate theater, which seats only 40 people on a given night, is fashioned with a couch adorned with two pillows, two armchairs, and a table stacked with an assortment of snacks and beverages. The seating nestles right up next to the stage, bridging the disconnect between the actors and the audience, and has been doing so for a decade now.

Pear Avenue's Artistic Director Diane Tasca describes her job as that of a troubleshooter that is, the person who makes sure no commitment fall through the cracks. A sort of "safety net," she said.

"I enjoy problem solving, and it's a source of great pride for me," Tasca said.

The first production the theatre presented, in September 2002, was George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Professions." In the years which followed, Tasca and her crew have worked hard to challenge themselves to impress patrons.

For example, every year Tasca selects a locally written play to perform, which is not a usual feature at such a small theatre. Most small production companies prefer to stick with the financial safety proven classics provide.

"Early on we thought it was important," Tasca said. "We help revise their plays and there's a level of trust."

It's worked, as the theatre has around 200 subscribers and the shows sell out over half of the time.

Vladimir Movshovich, a resident of Mountain View, attends two plays a year, on average, likes the people at Pear Avenue Theatre and admires their approach to running the business.

"There are nice people around and you meet people you wouldn't normally," Movshovich said. "They care about art more than business."

Dale Albright, a first-time Pear Avenue Theatre actor who auditioned for the current play "Bach at Leipzig" because a friend was involved in the production, echoed Movshovich's sentiment.

"It's a very friendly and professional place to be," Albright said. "It's an intimate atmosphere with the audience and it is easier to feel the room, which feuls performance."

Throughout the years, Tasca has schemed to reduce the costs however she can so the theatre can make enough money to pay its actors, taking steps such as asking audience members to return the programs at the end of a show and also constantly striving to deliver an experiences of exceptional quality.

Pear Avenue Theatre has enjoyed quite a bit of success, more than Tasca expected it would when she first opened it nearly 10 years ago, but its future 10 years from now is not entirely optimistic.

Their landlord, Google, has plans to do construction on the land and rearrange everything, and Tasca is trying to ensure Google sets aside a lot for the theatre. If things go the way Tasca hopes, then the theatre will likely end up in a larger space, and with that comes the potential for larger and more professional productions.

"We've done good work and been a benefit to Mountain View," Tasca said. "We want the city to not forget about small businesses and the arts."