Sitting in a New York cafe in 2012, John Kish charted the idea for a mystical space where plants and theater met, much like the Little Shop of Horrors. He always knew he wanted to create a dynamic space where there was more than met the eye, and realized soon enough there was room in his Bend plant shop, Somewhere That’s Green, to give The Greenhouse Cabaret a stage.
When walking into Somewhere That’s Green off of Greenwood Avenue, visitors see the crawling vines overflowing shelves, smell the naturality of the soil, then tucked behind the towering cacti and succulents, a glimpse of The Greenhouse Cabaret space emerges. A black and gold mural of the zodiac signs, and the phases of the moon painted by artist Nicole Fontana adorns the ceiling, opening the realm of possibilities for the future of the theater. The stage itself is small, but Kish said this allows for the writing to speak for itself, and makes for a more genuine performance and less of a spectacle.
His background is in theater from Circle in the Square Theater in New York City and Topsoil Theatrics, which toured the show Spring Awakening in Central Oregon. Kish is ambitious with the Greenhouse Cabaret stage, noting that it’s not only a performance space, it’s a celebrated safe environment for queer performers and allies. He believes it will fill a hole that has been lacking among the performing arts community. “We need performing arts as a backbone to this town,” he said. The future of The Greenhouse Cabaret will be host to live performances, musicals and drag shows. Kish is hoping for a spring show, a fall show and drag shows sprinkled in, plus a drag competition. One of the driving forces behind The Greenhouse Cabaret is to grow the performing arts community. “Creating a space that can attract more diversity and more talent is kind of my goal,” he said. This includes diversity in the stories being told on stage.
For the first show, which premiered in October, Kish envisioned the performance of off-broadway musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Playing Hedwig was Kish’s dream role and everything fell into place to spearhead the performance when Rick Johnson—a performer and director with a history of theater in New York, regional performances and in Central Oregon—came to direct the show. “It’s spectacular to watch [Kish] become Hedwig,” Johnson said. “He makes the character real.” Johnson sees himself working with Kish and The Greenhouse Cabaret indefinitely in the space. In addition to Kish as Hedwig, the cast includes Christie Capucci as Yitzhag, and a live band that rounds out the powerhouse program. “I love working with John and Rick,” said Capucci. “I’ve worked with them before and they’re the best, so it makes you want to be the best.” With the way the show is directed and the way John acts the main character, “you’re watching humans on stage, and they’re trying to become complete,” Johnson said.
The Greenhouse Cabaret has proven its potential with sold out performances for their very first show, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Kish said he is working with other companies in Bend’s 2nd Street area, such as the Campfire Hotel, to make the area near The Greenhouse Cabaret a performing arts district; there is no doubt that a new wave of creativity and inclusivity is about to be born from the humble yet mighty spirit of the theater on Greenwood Avenue. Watch for future performances on their website.
