ODC Theater

ODC Theater exists to empower and develop innovative artists. It participates in the creation of new works through commissioning, presenting, mentorship and space access; it develops informed, engaged and committed audiences; and advocates for the performing arts as an essential component to the economic and cultural development of our community. This 170-seat venue is the site of over 150 performances a year involving nearly 1,000 local, regional, national and international artists.

Since 1976, ODC Theater has been the mobilizing force behind countless San Francisco artists and the foothold for national and international touring artists seeking debut in the Bay Area. The Theater, founded by Brenda Way has earned its place as a cultural incubator by dedicating itself to creative change-makers, those leaders who give the Bay Area its unmistakable definition and flair. Nationally known artists Spaulding Gray, Diamanda Galas, Bill T. Jones, Eiko & Koma, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Karole Armitage, Sarah Michelson, Brian Brooks and John Heginbotham are among those whose first San Francisco appearance occurred at ODC Theater. ODC Theater is currently under the Creative Direction of Chloë L. Zimberg.

Box Office | boxoffice@odc.dance 
Full ODC Staff | odc.dance/staff
Theater Team | theater@odc.dance

Chloë L. Zimberg, Creative Director, she/her

Chloë L. Zimberg (she/her) is a dancer, producer, curator, consultant and arts program specialist currently leading ODC Theater as Creative Director. Her work centralizes on the strategic development of equitable performing arts platforms and the live arts sector. 

In partnership with Courtney King, Zimberg is the Co-Founder of Chlo & Co Dance, which curated and presented Drove, a twice-annual evening of dance performance by West Coast artists, as well as Tabled, an interdisciplinary discussion series highlighting universal issue areas in the national arts ecology from 2014-2021. The company generated aesthetically dynamic choreography that was both physically rigorous and intricate. 
Zimberg is originally from the Puget Sound and holds a BA in Performing Arts and Social Justice from the University of San Francisco with concentration in Dance and minor emphases in Politics and English Literature. She has served the Bay Area dance community in various roles at the University of San Francisco, Dancers’ Group, FACT/SF & CSW Consulting, and ODC. Zimberg is an alum of the National Arts Strategies and University of Pennsylvania Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy and provides creative career coaching to artists and arts professionals. 


Katya Oleinikov, Audience Services Manager, she/her
Ezra Howlett, Theater Event & Outreach Coordinator, they/them
Sam Hannum, she/they, Theater Associate, Operations Coordinator
Faith Alexis Dalton, she/her, Box Office Associate
Zaquia Mahler Salinas, Resident Curator

Garth Grimball, Chief of Staff, Editor of Dance Stories, he/him/his
Thomas Bowersox, Director of Production, he/his thomas@odc.dance 
Chris Chamberlin-Miner, Production Coordinator, he/him, c.chamberlin.miner@odc.dance 
John Hill, Public Relations Specialist, john@johnhillpr.com (510) 435-7128

Recent Past ODC Theater Artistic Leadership
Maurya Kerr, Resident Curator (2023-2024)
Leyya Mona Tawil, Guest Curator (2023)
Charles Slender-White, Guest Curator (2022)
amara tabor-smith, Guest Curator (2022)
Julie Potter, Director
Christy Bolingbroke, Director
Rob Bailis, Director

ODC is on the ancestral lands of the Ramaytush People in Yelamu. We pay respects to elders past and present, who are still here and part of our community. We recognize that regenerative land management is not new, but is a continuation of practices from Native cultures and from our own ancestors. It is our responsibility to steward the land with care, as our elders did before us.

ODC is donating $.50 for each in-person ticket (seat) sold to all performances in the Theater. ODC will donate these funds to the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone land tax fund. We encourage you to consider paying land tax donations and to learn about the land where you reside by visiting native-land.ca.

ODC is ADA Accessible. Additional wheelchair seating is provided for select shows. ODC Theater seats are 17 inches wide. Getting to second floor studios in the ODC Dance Commons and ODC Theater involves riding an elevator or climbing one flight of stairs. The majority of the ODC Annex is carpeted. ODC Theater and ODC Annex restrooms are All-Gender, and in the ODC Dance Commons, All-Gender restrooms are located on the second floor. For all ODC/Dance and ODC Theater presented performances, ASL is provided for shows with performed text for at least one performance during the show run. Captioning is provided for all Digital Encores. Please see individual event pages for more information. Questions? Please contact the ODC Box Office at boxoffice@odc.dance.