The Battle Ranch is dead, LONG LIVE THE BATTLE RANCH!

As some of you already know, the illustrious Battle Ranch is currently moving. Earlier this season, after spending a year in our current digs, we were informed that our building was going to be gutted and turned into apartments this upcoming fall. Without a doubt, hearing this news was a huge downer. Though Vampire Cowboys has only been managing this current studio for the past year, this space holds a very significant place in Vampire Cowboys lore. Previously known as Studio 111 under the management of the awesome Tanya Calamoneri and Ken Watt, it’s been the location for the development of almost every single Vampire Cowboys show (with the exception of “Vampire Cowboy Trilogy”) to date. It was here that Robert and I first came up with VC’s most successful creations: “Living Dead in Denmark”, “Men of Steel”, and “Fight Girl Battle World”. It was the home of VC’s very popular Saturday Night Saloon series. And, of course, on a personal note, it was the place where Abby and I got engaged. Though the Battle Ranch will live on in a new location, 111 Conselyea will always be remembered as the venue that VC found its teeth.

But how did the Battle Ranch come into being? Well, like the motivations behind creating the “Saturday Night Saloon” (our serialized monthly event we created to help better promote some of our favorite New York “emerging artists”), the Battle Ranch was born from the mind of Abby Marcus, VC’s Managing Director/Producer and my fiancé, to not only house Vampire Cowboys, but to be a place for our Off-Off Broadway community to work. Being a huge proponent of Indie Theater, Abby wanted to make sure that there was affordable rehearsal space available to young companies like ours. Without the generosity and hard work of the original Studio 111 (and its low $10 an hour rate), Vampire Cowboys would have never been able to produce the shows that it has been able to create.

However, as you may guess, running a studio for a company as small as ours is no easy task. We have no paid staff, no gigantic grants assisting us in keeping a space open, and very few free hours in our already very busy schedules to take on a project like this. To open and maintain a studio could tank us pretty fast both financially and mentally. Obviously, $10 an hour is just enough to keep the space open, not get rich. So if this isn’t some kind of Donald Trump’ish like lucrative venture, why the risk?

“It’s not about the money, Qui, it’s about doing something good for the community.” This was Abby’s mantra. This is what she championed. She wanted to make sure that a space like ours was out there for the next Vampire Cowboys/small indie theater group to find and utilize. “Don’t you think that’s important, Qui?” she challenged. “Don't you think it's important that others get the same opportunities we were able to find when we first started?”

Being around someone like Abby whose motivations tend to always be pretty altruistic can be somewhat annoying. As an artist, I will admit that many of my motivations can be quite selfish. My ambitions tend to always be centered on either my writing or my company. Abby however is always thinking about the greater good. She's always thrusting the spotlight on others instead of herself, which is a bit counter to my natural instincts. But that doesn't mean my instincts are correct. And as annoying as dating the good Samaritan may be, it's also what I love about her. She pushes me to be more than just a better artist, but a better man.

In the end, her passion and idealism won the day. And thank God it did. Because after doing this for a year, she was absolutely right. The space flourished housing countless rehearsals, classes, and shows such as 3800 Elizabeth and Alternating Current. As artists came in and out our doors, we had the honor to meet and interact with so many amazing Indie Theatre practitioners including our friends at The Brick, Partial Comfort, Nosedive Productions, Piper McKenzie, and so many more. And though it has been a lot of hard work for Abby and Vampire Cowboys to do, it has definitely been worth it. So when we found out that the current space was closing, we had no doubts about re-opening it somewhere else. The need will always be out there for affordable space and, as long as we have the energy and funds to do it, we will always work to ensure that it exists. And you can blame Abby Marcus for that.

And for those that are curious, the new Battle Ranch is pretty awesome. Currently known as the Battle Ranch Annex, the new “BR2” is located off the Morgon L stop. I’ve already started working out in the new space with a group of our actors and it’s really great. It’s newer, cleaner, and in a commercial building, meaning no more worries about our neighbors complaining when we decide to have an obnoxiously loud rehearsal. The new space will house our new offices, our Rabid Vamps Fight Studio, the monthly Saturday Night Saloon series, and, of course, will continue to be available for rehearsal rentals at the usual low Battle Ranch prices of $10 an hour. Hopefully one day some other company will look as fondly on our studio digs as we did to the original Studio 111/Battle Ranch.

The old Battle Ranch closes its doors on June 30th. The new one officially goes full speed July 1st.