Brava Theater Center

Loved the Jen Kirkman show, but the woman who handled the signing fucked up royally. We were second in line for the book signing when she told us to switch lines. When it became clear that the new line was completely irrelevant she disappeared. No apologies or attempts to put us back in the signing line. We could get in the back of the new, very long line, or leave. We left. Great show. Poor management.

Brava, I say! Brava!
The theater is not only spacious and comfortable, but they do a damn fine job of supporting a wide variety of local arts that tend towards the fringe. Someone’s gotta do it and protect the integrity of this city, am I right?

Brava Theater Center is definitely a hidden gem in the neighborhood surrounding it.
THE HIGHLIGHTS.
— Parking is going to suck for whatever show you’re here for — come early and plan ahead
+ It’s a small, well-​loved, intimate theater (worked great for Bob’s Burgers at Sketchfest 2016!)
+ Cocktails are sold in the lobby (and allowed inside the theater!)
+ Comfortable, well-​spaced-​out seating arrangements
I wouldn’t mind seeing a show here again, although it looks to not the greatest neighborhood at night.

I got hte chance to discover this theater for SF Sketchfest this year. What a delight! I don’t get a chance to visit the Mission district much, so coming here was a treat — even IF the Mexican restaurant I wanted to try after the show was closed! UGH
I saw two shows here, both were fun, and had two totally different seats and thought both views were great. I will say, being a gentleman who is trying to lose some weight[aka bigger butt than most], the seats were a little small compared to other theaters. But That is probably more of a ME problem than a them problem, so I move on…
Parking isn’t great, not much on the street and some of the commercial parking lots close at night — but you can find some down the street by the hospital.
Overall, I would recommend seeing a show here! Check them out

Great little theater, reserved seats, comfy and bar and bathroom easy to access!

I thought this was a cute lil theater. The outside appears as though it needs a new coat of paint but the inside looks like it just got it and they’re working on the outside. The staff seemed friendly enough. Beverages (non-​alcoholic) sold to the right after the entrance. The setting is a pretty intimate affair seating about 350 people. I’d go here again. There’s also so many areas to walk around and check out during the day. Be careful of all the crazy ass hills near by if you’re driving! I’d come here again. :)

A great mid-​size theatre in the bustling Mission District of SF, it sports a colourful interior and great ambiance. The staff are both friendly and good at what they do, so expect a fun, care-​free experience.

Until recently I hadn’t been in this space since oh, I don’t know, maybe when it was a movie theater called the York.
I was pleasantly surprised and delighted with the facility. The seating is awesome — seats are comfortable, sight lines are great — even if someone large ‘n tall and wearing an Easter bonnet sat in front of you you would still be able to see the stage just fine.
Sound system was also great for the Sylvester show, important as there was singing and live music in the production.
I look forward to a return visit, and hope that «Sylvester» does come back to SF in June as they said it might (not sure if it will be back in this venue but go see it no matter where it is!)

Lovely intimate little theater. The Brava Theater is owned and operated by Brava! For Women in the Arts. This wonderful organization works to present the artistic work of individuals who’s voices often go unheard. I love the mission of BRAVA and I am so happy that I had the opportunity to attend a lecture at the theater.
I purchased a ticket to see author Gabrielle Bernstein speak and was very impressed with the venue. It is discrete from the outside, but once you walk through the doors into the theater you will be completely taken aback by the beautiful space. The seating was general admission for Gabby’s lecture (not sure if it’s ever assigned). Arrive early to snag a good spot. I sat in the first row of the balcony, and although the seating was decent, I wish I would have arrived earlier to get a closer seat.
I highly recommend taking MUNI or BART if possible, since the stops are located close to the theater. I was concerned about parking, but after circling the block a few times I was able to score a spot directly across the street. If you do drive and are unable to find street parking, they offer garage parking down the block at San Francisco General.
The best part of my experience at the theater was actually the conversations that I had with fellow audience members and employees. The positive energy of BRAVA and the speakers that they host seem to attract a certain type of personality. Seriously, everyone was so friendly and welcoming! Props to BRAVA and Gabby for providing a safe space for people to be themselves. I loved it and I hope to return soon!

I recently rentened the theatre for my gospel musical Richard Torrence’s «Lord Why Can’t I Do Right?» On the days of the event the theatre didn’t have a working heating system and my patrons were cold and complained about the venue. I went to the main office upstairs and the heat was working fine. Their repsonse was the building is old but if it was old it would be cold in the entire building not just the theatre. Also I wasn’t informed that the clear comm system didn’t work in the venue. THis was very important to my show because we run everything on cues and the crew must be able to communicate in order to run a smooth those. When I brought this to the attention of the veune they said we never said it was working. THis is very unprofessional and when I asked for a refund of some of my monies they declined.
I also filed a complaint with the BBB and the theatre will not respond to the complaint.

My first visit here was Saturday Feb. 14^th to see Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical. What a treat! The venue has been restored and looks fantastic. It’s an intimate theatre with no bad sightlines. I was sitting in the last row and the sightlines and audio were GREAT! Nice size lobby with no waiting to buy merch and drinks pre-​show. I was able to find street parking easy enough. Bonus: there are lots of options for dinner or lunch before or after the show within walking distance. I really enjoyed myself and look forward to a return visit.

What a nice, intimate theater! Wouldn’t immediately think of seeing stand-​up comedy here because it’s so quaint and historic, but it did just fine during Sketchfest 2015.
Was lucky enough to see Jenny Slate perform on January 23. She was equally as excited about the choice of venue and made a few comments about it during her set.
Adult beverages are allowed and sold in the lobby. Or at least they were for Sketchfest. And the leg room up in the balcony seats was pretty generous if you compare to similar theaters in SF.
My favorite thing about spaces from a different era? They offer some eye candy while your mind wanders. Not that Miss Slate wasn’t entertaining on her own, I just like to look around while I listen.
If you have the chance to see a live performance at Brava, go for it! Intimate, comfy and not a bad seat in the house.

We would never have known this theater existed if not for the show we went to last Sat.
Among the MANY Sketchfest events, we went to Julie Brown’s musical. «Homecoming Queen.»
The hubby has a nostalgic thing for Julie Brown, and tickets were reasonable.
The theater is a nice one, I doubt any seats are bad ones.
It’s the perfect size, not huge, but not tiny either.
The staff was pleasant, there were even ushers to take us to our seats.
The theater was clean, as were the bathrooms.
I’d definitely come back for future shows.

This is a nifty place in the depths of the mission.
I went here to check out the SF Dance Film Festival. which is a whole other review. But the theater itself is a great spot. It’s very clean, great size screen, and the overall setup is lovely!
Hopefully I’ll be viewing more hipster movies here in the future.

Came here to watch «Sweet Maladies». Really enjoyed the show. Small cast but great acting. I plan to return to see what other shows they may have. 5 * for the show.
I left my favorite hat there and lay it at the chair right next to my seat as it was a bit warm in the theater. i left two VMs with the theater and nobody called back. I’m really disappointed though. 0* for customer service/​no call backs and holding my hat hostage. :(

Came here last Sunday to watch the performance of my friend’s play, Love Balm for my SpiritChild, which presents the testimonies of Bay Area mothers who have lost their children to violence. It’s a beautiful piece and I am so, so proud of my friend!
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First off, I love that this place is easily accessible by public transportation. I live in the East Bay, and was able to get off at the 24^th Street Mission stop and take a leisurely, half-​mile long stroll past lots of colorful, wonderful restaurants and shops. I do have a car, and I saw a lot of metered parking available, too.
There doesn’t seem to be much seating for those waiting for a show to begin. There are a couple of long benches opposite the ticket booth right when you walk in, and some seating past the mini concession stand in the back, but you will more likely stand. The plus side, though, is that you won’t stand for long! Shows here pretty much start on time, and they do open the doors about 15 – 20 minutes prior to the showing.
I LOVEEE the feel of the theater space downstairs. It sort of reminds me of some of the spaces at the Grand Lake Theater — sizeable, but also intimate and cozy. I think it was the perfect venue for Love Balm, especially for the community talk backs that happened after the performance. If the place was any larger, it would have made it too easy for people to feel alienated and apart from one another.
All in all, I’m glad that this theater grabbed on to Love Balm. I think it shows that they have a real heart for justice and for telling the stories that come from within their own community. Would definitely come here again!

It was my first time at this venue when I saw the Theme Park Improv group here for Sketchfest. I thought the theater area was magnificent– I love how they painted and/​or lighted the ceiling in blues– it looked other-​worldly.
The mic went out a few times during the performance but even so, the acoustics in the space carried their voices just fine until it went back on.
I wasn’t sure how to interpret the foyer space though; I couldn’t tell if it was intentionally distressed and that was the look or if it was actually under-​construction or deteriorating. Or maybe it’s about something cooler than me and I just don’t get it. Other than my confusion over that, I enjoyed my visit here.

It’s got character, history… I was invited to an advanced screening of Mortified Nation at the Brava Theater Center last week. I personally loved the space. Comfortable seats all with a good view, seemingly. It’s got class along with its character and history.
Now I’m here working on the HBO show Looking. Funny how you can never know a place existed then suddenly become so intimate with it.
Check out a show here. The environment will add to the spectacle for certain.

Not only is this a beautiful theatre, and not only does it serve the community around it well by hosting a multitude of cultural events that cater to many different facets of San Francisco and the Bay Area, but the people who work here are NICE!
I am also writing this review in part to point out something that isn’t expressly stated on their website:
Yes, the theatre IS WHEELCHAIR-​ACCESSIBLE!
Once inside the front doors, the lobby ramps up from street level, there are ADA-​compliant BATHROOMS, and there’s a very generously-​sized ELEVATOR to ADA seating in the balcony (not to mention the ADA seating in the front of the orchestra area). Some theatres may have elevators, but they are blocked with industrial detritus, are too small to fit anything other than the very tiniest wheelchair, or are down dimly-​lit hallways with no signage.
None of these were an issue at the Brava Theater, because from the second I arrived, an employee escorted me via the elevator to the ADA seating on the balcony level. He did so with a smile on his face, with wonderful politeness and demeanor, and made sure that there was companion seating for my partner.
I also want to point out that while I was unable to find the ADA seating access info I sought on their website, I emailed their customer service, and received an immediate friendly reply with all the info I needed!
This may not sound like over-​the-​top-​fabulous service to the average reader, but to those of us who’ve dealt with the stress of outdated, poorly-​equipped, or otherwise frustrating performance venues, this is a HUGE exception and warrants a 5-​star review!

Worst sound ever!!!
People on the main level seemed to enjoyed themselves, but folks in the the Mezzanine were silent. Why? Sound was shit! So muddy, you couldn’t understand anything!!! Not going back.