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What it is: Experimental theater troupe Hoi Polloi set up shop in a converted Clinton Hill garage earlier this year. According to artistic director Alec Duffy, who lives in neighboring Prospect Heights, the area is ready for a cultural center. “Over the last five years, we’ve seen the neighborhood kind of explode with bars and restaurants, but no real increase in any kind of cultural activity or spaces,” he says. “We saw an opening for the kind of work we were doing. And it’s exciting to us as an opportunity to potentially bridge [the gap between] audiences.”
What to expect: Duffy sees the venue as more than just a place for theater performances. “I really wanted a space that asks the question, can we create a space that has experimental art in its center, but also one that serves the community at the same time?” To that end, the group will engage with its surrounding area by offering classes for adults, as well as a writing-and-performance program for teenagers called the Jack Teen Arts Council.
What’s happening: Hoi Polloi staged its first production at Jack, Bertolt Brecht’s Baal, over the summer. The group is still locking in details for its next show, but until then, the venue will host music performances, film nights and other events. 505½ Waverly Ave between Atlantic Ave and Fulton St, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn (jackny.org)—Amy Plitt
