8th Step at Proctors

Nonprofit member supported arts presenting organization founded 1967 in Albany, NY; always independent and now in residence at historic Proctors Theatre, 432 State St, Schenectady, NY 12305. Performances, mostly concerts, generally using two spaces: 1) 430-seat GE Theatre, a new state-of-the-art black box with tunable sound, full stage lighting and comfortable stadium seating; and 2) Underground,more intimate, 150-seat space with moveable seating; occasionally concerts are presented in outside venues. The Eighth Step Kitchen serves the Capital Region's finest gourmet desserts.
The Capital Region boasts two remarkable venues: The Eighth Step ranks as the longest, continuously running non-profit coffeehouse in America. Of the thousands of church coffeehouses that sprang up in the 1960s, "The Step" has kept running the longest.
An early supporter was the late entrepreneur Lena Spencer of Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, NY, who founded her Caffe in 1960, making it the country's oldest commercial coffeehouse (now a nonprofit).