New theater in Santa Barbara

A new professional theater, Santa Barbara Theatre Company, will serve as a sister troupe to Hollywood’s 78-seat Fountain Theatre, officials of the new company announced Wednesday.

The artistic directors of the Santa Barbara group will be the Fountain’s Stephen Sachs -- who will retain his position as co-artistic director of the Fountain -- and Asaad Kelada, a director whose highest-profile theatrical gig in L.A. was “Over the River and Through the Woods,” which opened North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre in 2000.

Albert Ihde, who reportedly was dismissed earlier this month from his job as the executive director of Santa Barbara’s Ensemble Theatre Company, will be the new company’s producing director.

The Ensemble, which operates out of a 140-seat home, recently imported Sachs’ Fountain Theatre production of “Exits and Entrances” to Santa Barbara. Sachs was also slated to direct the Ensemble’s next production, but it was canceled.

The Ensemble’s artistic director, Robert Grande Weiss, was informed that his company had a new rival only when a Times reporter asked him for comment Wednesday. “This is all a surprise to me,” he said.

The new company plans to operate in rented theaters with at least 200 seats. If shows transfer from the Fountain to Santa Barbara, the actors would receive higher wages at the larger theater because of the requirements of union contracts.

The group plans to raise funds this year and begin full productions in 2006.

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-- Don Shirley