A full house at The Actors' Group's Yellow Brick Studio is 36 people, with front-row patrons pretty much in the faces of the actors, or vice versa.

"Sometimes the audiences' feet are on stage," said Eric Nemoto, TAG president. "And actors have to step over people's feet.

"We think that's our niche — small. We'd like to be a little bigger, but not huge. Maybe 50 seats. More seats mean more money to do better shows."

More seats could also mean higher rent, too, which is where TAG now is, financially speaking.

With the facility at 625 Keawe St. on the sales block, a month's notice could put TAG on the street. The threat loomed for several years, but the reality may be near.

"We want to be prepared, so we're planning a fundraiser on Feb. 29 to raise monies for our relocation," Nemoto said. It will be the first of a series of attempts to raise funds from corporate supporters and individuals, with a more rigorous effort to solicit available grants to help underwrite mounting production costs.

TAG, which has operated at the Kaka'ako site for 10 years, wants to remain an indie theater group, with an intimate atmosphere, in a Downtown — even Chinatown — setting. "People come to TAG because we're a bit crunchy, a little different," he said.

In the old days, the joint was a study space operated by Jon Brekke and Mike Powell, where Dick Kindeleon's Honolulu Film Actor Workshop existed. Directors were invited to teach tech classes monthly; groups of 20 to 30 would converge to do scenes. The theater group's name can be traced to what was scribbled on a chalkboard years ago.

Being tiny, TAG pays less in royalties for dramas or comedies than a larger competitor. "We average $60 per show," he said. "Fewer seats mean cheaper royalties."

TAG traditionally plays to a loyal and older crowd "which is in a time of life where they come to appreciate theater."

"We always play to a full house — a wonderful problem to have," he said.

That wasn't always so. "There were times we had more people on stage than in the house," Nemoto said, adding, "Our largest cast was 15."

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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