Rent The Bike and Go Places

Centrally located, comfortably furnished, and modernly equipped, the Yellow Bicycle Theater might just be the ideal venue for your next play, workshop, or screening. The streamlined design draws on over twenty years of fringe and indie production experience in four countries. Every inch is put to optimal use to keep operating costs low and rental rates affordable so that artists can make money making art. The theater will be available for rental beginning in June. Rates start at just $80 per hour.

The Yellow Bicycle Theater with 130″ outdoor video display on the second floor of 1435 Arch, across from Love Park and a block from City Hall

Location, Location…

Conveniently situated across from Love Park in bustling Center City at the intersection of Philly’s two subway lines. There’s a parking garage under the park and another by Trader Joe’s two streets over. And for visiting New York productions, there’s a train every hour from Manhattan to Suburban station a block away. Breakfast, lunch, and coffee can be had downstairs at Bubby’s Brisket and Cafe Old Nelson, and there’s beer next door at Parkside Beef & Ale.

View of Love Park and Suburban Station from the roof of the theater

Furnishings

36 theater seats with wide, thick cushions, padded arms and plenty of leg room ensure audiences aren’t squirming an hour into the show. And if you prefer more seats and less stage, you can add another 8 stacking chairs for a total of 44. The backstage can seat four actors comfortably, with room for another four in the dressing room/tech booth.

The Yellow Bicycle Theater, a new 44-seat black box theater and arthouse cinema with a 120″ screen and DLP projector in the heart of Philadelphia

Equipment

Fixed lighting with twelve 120 W par cans and four color LED pars on 16 separate channels connected via DMX to a backstage tech desk. Two dimmer channels available for additional lighting. A widescreen monitor on the desk displays a 1080p image of the stage with audio from two Shure Centraverse mics to assist with tech. Lights and sound are run via Qlab on a dedicated MacBook. The laptop also runs a short-throw 1080p DLP projector with a 120″ screen. To run tech from the seating area there’s an iPad with QLab Remote. And a FujiFilm X-T3 with tripod, shotgun mic, and TV is available for self-tapes and on-camera classes.

View of the auditorium from the stage

Price List

All rates are hourly and subject to change. On-peak hours are 7 pm to 11 pm Thursday through Saturday.

  • Entire venue: $125/hr on-peak, $100/hr off-peak (includes theater with stage lights, backstage, two bathrooms, lobby/rehearsal room, tech desk/dressing room, everything but the back office)
  • Theater only: $80/hr (off-peak only, private events only, includes theater, work lights, backstage, small bathroom, +$10 for stage lights with iPad and QLab Remote)
  • Lobby/rehearsal room only: $20/hr (off-peak only, private events only, includes large bathroom)
  • Projector: Included with film screenings, $10/hr for other events
  • Live streaming via OBS: $15/hr
 (Fujifilm X-T3, Shure Centraverse overhead mics)
  • Recording on Ninja V: $15/hr (Fujifilm X-T3, ProRes 4k at 4:2:2, Shure Centraverse mics)
  • Simultaneous live streaming and recording: $25/hr
 (OBS, Ninja V recording ProRes 4k at 4:2:2, Fujifilm X-T3 and Shure Centraverse mics)
  • Camera and TV package: $20/hr (Fujifilm X-T3 and Hisense TV for classes and self-tapes, training required)
  • Advertisement on 130″ video screen facing Love Park: $1 per second per day in a two-minute loop, ten second minimum (see cycletron.tv)

Please note:

  • One-hour minimum; additional time may be rounded to the nearest fifteen minutes, e.g. 6:45 pm – 8:15 pm.
  • Be sure to include at least fifteen minutes for load-in/out when calculating.
  • Payment is due with the signing of the contract.
  • Events open to the public require insurance (see eventsured for competitive rates).
  • All events at the theater are mask- and vaccine-optional.
  • To keep the venue affordable and functional for all renters, it must be returned to its initial condition when loading out. This includes sweeping the floor, removing set pieces and costumes, and reaming lights, as needed.
  • Storage at the theater is very limited. This is a space primarily for works that focus on the interplay between the text and the actor. Projects at the interface of theater and film are also strongly encouraged.

Contact

Interested in renting or want to learn more? Just fill out this contact form. Be sure to include the dates and times you have in mind, including load-in and load-out.

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