Madness on Mill?

There’s a lingering myth about Tempe’s Mill Avenue – based largely on a few anomalous years in the ’90s -- that the Ave is some sort of creative bastion. It certainly should be. Situated within bottle-slinging distance of one of America’s largest public institutions, it’s a beacon for attractive young things with disposable incomes. Problem is, those attractive young things go to Mill to party, not to be challenged.

The folks at Downtown Tempe Community, Inc., are attempting to cut against the perception/reality grain with the new MADCAP Theaters project, which will eventually feature 11 stripped-down performance spaces located in the old Harkins Centerpoint building at 730 South Mill. (Only three are currently completed.) The goal, says DTC’s Casaundra Brown, is "to provide an affordable space for local community artists, musicians, dancers, theater groups, comedians, and schools," thereby organically "increasing the amount of live entertainment and cultural activity happening on and around Mill Avenue." A worthy goal, but will it work on anything-but-organic Mill?

Get a first look from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13.