At the intersection of Taylor and Eddy streets in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, Christina Augello stands as a veteran of independent theater.
As the artistic director of The Exit, the experimental theater production company she founded in 1983, Augello has embraced numerous roles both on and off the stage.
From portraying a baroness to an Irish pirate queen, she has immersed herself in the world of performance art while fostering a community of diverse shows that range from the avant-garde to the deeply personal.
Despite the significant glow of her storied past, the present landscape of independent theater is fraught with challenges.
The Exit, which once boasted five performance stages, has seen a dramatic downsizing.
Today, it operates from a single stage but continues to host the much-anticipated San Francisco Fringe Festival, running from August 8 to 25.
This year, the festival will feature 45 performances across 15 original shows, showcasing an eclectic mix of acts including acro-pole dances and spoken word poetry.
Dressed with purple-streaked hair and sporting a “Theater is Sexy” pin, the 77-year-old Augello reflects on her adventurous journey that began in her twenties when she hitchhiked to San Francisco.
Her experiences have taken her beyond the U.S., performing at fringe festivals in Europe and Canada, passionately advocating for the spotlight on small performers.
Augello’s commitment to theater is unwavering, stating, “It’s the only tool I have to make things better. I don’t know what else I would do.”
Independent theater has never been an easy path, and the last five years have brought unprecedented struggles for Augello and The Exit.
Following the pandemic-induced closures, the theater faced severe financial strains.
Despite a long-standing model of renting her five stages for a flat fee, the economics became untenable, with audiences dwindling and shows unbooked.
In response to the financial difficulties, Augello was compelled to reduce her theater seating from 250 to merely 49.
“We were based on the model that it takes a village,” she remarked, acknowledging the loss of community support needed to sustain such an endeavor.
Esteemed neighbor, the comedy club PianoFight, along with many other nearby theater companies, have also closed or reduced their operations in the wake of the changing dynamics.
Once thriving during the 2000s and 2010s, when The Exit could host up to 500 shows a year, Augello now contemplates whether the single remaining stage will even reach 100 shows this year, including the festival’s offerings.
Recent months brought a brief spotlight to The Exit when it premiered “Luigi: The Musical,” a quirky show about a suspect in a high-profile murder case.
The production gained national media attention and quickly sold out, generating profits for its producers who had paid a flat fee to rent the stage.
Despite the acclaim from some quarters, the show also drew sharp criticism, prompting death threats directed at Augello for her involvement.
Amidst the challenges and controversies, the upcoming Fringe Festival is an opportunity for artistic expression and creativity.
The selection of shows is entirely randomized from a pool of applicants, embodying Augello’s commitment to presenting a diverse array of performances that might otherwise remain unseen.
She anticipates that not every show will resonate, acknowledging that a few might not meet audience expectations.
However, the rapid succession of performances—three shows per night—ensures that even less favorable acts will quickly make way for new experiences.
Augello’s enthusiasm remains infectious, as she believes that live performances create intimate connections and shared experiences.
“Bringing people together in an intimate situation, live, communicating with each other, sharing…they walk away with some sort of something,” she emphasized.
Augello firmly holds that every interaction through theater enriches the community, leaving audience members with unique memories that can only arise from the magic of live performance.
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