Ron Himes, the troupe's founder and producing director, was notified by e-mail Aug. 2 that the Grand Center board has sold the Grandel Theatre, where the Black Rep has performed its mainstage shows for the past 20 years. The buyer has not been announced.

The organization has to move all of its assets from the theatre by Aug. 16. A liquidator will empty the space completely at the end of the month.

"Basically, we are homeless," Himes told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I thought at some point we (the Black Rep and Grand Center) would have sat down together. We hoped that even if they were going to sell it, there would be a transition period. It's a devastating blow."

In the past few weeks, Himes said, he called Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr., president and CEO of Grand Center, Inc., to inquire about the sale. He said the calls were not returned.

More information about the Black Rep can be found by visiting theblackrep.org.