Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre Is Moving to Fashion Square

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre is moving to the former Harkins Fashion Square 7 movie theater location inside Scottsdale Fashion Square. The nonprofit theatrical group, which has been located at 4720 North Scottsdale Road since 2004, announced the news on Monday, April 4. “We are delighted to announce our plans to move into such a prominent...

By Lauren Cusimano

April 5, 2016

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Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre is moving to the former Harkins Fashion Square 7 movie theater location inside Scottsdale Fashion Square. The nonprofit theatrical group, which has been located at 4720 North Scottsdale Road since 2004, announced the news on Monday, April 4.

“We are delighted to announce our plans to move into such a prominent location within Scottsdale Fashion Square," Desert Stages co-founder and executive/artistic director Laurie Cullity says in the prepared statement.

It's the latest of many changes at the mall. Barneys New York will close soon. Luxury theater Harkins Camelview opened in the East Wing, replacing both Camelview 5, which was located slightly offsite, and Fashion Square 7, which was previously accessible through the mall's food court area. Desert Stages is scheduled to move into the latter space by fall 2016.

In the meantime, the theater company is hoping to raise roughly $900,000 with the Desert Stages’s Next Stage campaign – a plan to revamp and repurpose the former movie theater by creating two theaters, some classrooms, and installing light and sound systems.

Since 1995, the award-winning Desert Stages has put on more than 250 productions (including Harvey, Biloxi Blues, and The Rocky Horror Show) for more than 300,000 audience members.

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Lauren Cusimano was the Phoenix New Times food editor from 2018 to 2021. Joys include eating wings, riding bikes, knowing everyone at the bar, talking too much about The Simpsons, and falling asleep while reading.