OFC Creations continues to enhance arts offerings in Rochester

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Eric Vaughn Johnson dreams of ways to turn everyday activities into memories that will last a lifetime.

He is helping make that dream a reality with the OFC Creations Theatre Center.

The for-profit, non-equity theater — which has been a fixture of the Rochester performing arts scene since 2005 — has undergone several changes over the past few years, expanding its space, offerings and community reach, according to Johnson, OFC’s executive director.

The venue is something the region was ready for, he said.

“Rochester has always been an arts city,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s mission is to continue enhancing the arts in the Rochester region through creating interactive experiences, community partnerships and innovative avenues of entertainment, with OFC at the center.

Originally housed in multiple theaters including the Kodak Center and the Lyric Theatre, OFC opened the 260-seat multi-purpose performing arts center in Brighton in July of 2020, with an emphasis on its youth productions and teaching.

Johnson had previously been establishing and revamping drama programs at local schools before starting the business venture.

He conceived, designed and opened OFC at the start and height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnson did have experience in the local arts scene when he created OFC, previously serving as the program director of the Rochester Association of the Performing Arts, the artistic director of SNAP Musical Theatre and president of the Greece Performing Arts. He has also managed numerous performing arts centers, namely the 2,000-seat Kodak Center for Performing Arts (formerly Theatre on the Ridge).

Though arts were limited due to pandemic restraints when Johnson was working to open OFC, he developed state approved policies and procedures for shows and theater classes to continue safely. After proving successful with no COVID transmissions, organizations across the state and neighboring states contacted Johnson for help reopening their theaters.

In 2022, Johnson opened The Old Farm Cafe, an immersive theatrical restaurant and cabaret performance venue at the site.

In addition to the theater and cafe, the venue includes a multi-use dance studio, private lesson rooms and greenroom/dressing rooms, all of which have rental options.

The new space has allowed for growth, including the number of people who work for the business, he said.

OFC employs some 50 full- and part-time workers. Johnson’s husband, Hunter Eckberg, serves as the director of Theatrical Experiences.

Johnson — who began in the field as a student at Pittsford Mendon — specializes in storytelling choreography and transforming a traditional story into a one-of-a-kind experience.

An award-winning director, Johnson has been at the forefront of countless theatrical and film productions both on- and off-stage. He has also penned several musicals and acted in many, as well.

In 2023, OFC launched its Broadway in Brighton series, a professional series of six musicals featuring paid professional actors from across the country and including professional actors from Rochester. Johnson directed all six musicals and the season celebrated sold-out shows in nearly all performances.

Due to the success of the inaugural series, the 2024-2025 Broadway in Brighton series will kick off in September.

The upcoming series will include: The Boy from Oz, a regional premiere; West Side Story; The Prince of Egypt, an upstate NY and Rochester premiere of which OFC is one of the first performing arts centers in the country to be granted permission to present this show;  Anything Goes, and Gypsy.

Closing out the 2024-2025 season will be Jersey Boys, produced locally for the first time, starring Adam Marino, who has performed professionally across the nation.

Don Jeffries, president and CEO of Visit Rochester, said the Rochester region stands out for its cultural offerings, including the performing arts with venues such as OFC Creations.

“We are the cultural capital of upstate,” he said, noting that some performances at local venues bring in casts and crews that stay in the city’s hotels and eat at the restaurants, serving as a further economic driver for the region.

Jeffries has a personal connection to OFC; his granddaughter has performed in two plays there, which he attended.

“It’s a great venue, a great destination,” he said.

For more information on OFC’s lineup, go to https://www.ofccreations.com/tickets.

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