Eric Little at Echo's Theatre 134

The sleek lobby of Theatre 134 in the ArtSpace at Crestwood Court looks almost homey, provided your idea of home encompasses arts-savvy lofts. A black and white expanse punctuated with bursts of crimson, it seems less like a public space than an unusually ample private one.

Hungry? There’s a table ringed with garden chairs. Want to sit and chat? That’s easy, too, in the comfy ”living room.” (Just don’t let the leather sofa tempt you to nap - though that won’t be easy.) Eric Little takes particular pride in the long, low bureau, a handsome piece now that he’s painted it bright red. It looked nothing like this when he picked it up for $45 second-hand. Ultimately, it will be a good place to display brochures or other material he wants patrons to pick up; at the moment, it helps establish stylish  mood.

“I want people to feel welcome to hang out,” said Little, artistic director of Echo Theatre  (echotheatrecompany.org, 314-225-4329), the company behind Theatre 134. It opens “Nerve” (July 10-25)there on Thursday. ”We have been nomadic, and we’re glad to be home.”

Echo is the second theater company to move into the ArtSpace, a section of Crestwood Court (formerly Crestwood Plaza) that is dedicated to artistic endeavors. So far as anyone at the Regional Arts Commission knows, It’s the only mall in the country that has addressed the problem of empty shops by extending a low-cost welcome to artists.

The idea is blossoming. More and more spaces are filled; another troupe, Avalon, currently has an outstanding production of “Barrymore” playing in its ArtSpace theater. ArtSpace is a good place to take a dance class or find a pair of artisan earrings or look at (and maybe buy)  paintings. RAC and Crestwood Court have planned a series of Art on the Court evenings to give people a chance to check out the scene; the next one is July 25, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Little considers ArtSpace a godsend, and no wonder. Over the years, Echo has performed in lots of places, including a church, a school for the blind and, for a while, Soulard’s Preservation Hall. None had the backstage perks that Theatre 134 does (rehearsal space, costume and set shops, a good loading dock, dressing rooms and an office, plus a flexible playing area). More important, none was really home.

Over the years Echo came up with some very strong work, including Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” and an outstanding production of a touching World War I drama, “Mary’s Wedding” by Stephen Massicotte. But when you don’t know where you’ll be, you can’t build an audience and it’s nearly impossible to make plans.

Now that Theatre 134 shaping up, “I am already planning another season,” Little said. “I haven’t had that luxury. Now I plan to do even more bold, funky, contemporary shows.”

Adam Szymkowicz’s “Nerve” - a dark romantic comedy about cyberdating that stars Colleen Backer and Charlie Barron - sets the tone. It will be followed by “The Secretaries” (Sept. 25-Oct. 11), another comedy with a strange premise (murderous office workers) and then a new musical piece about Americans on the run, “Fugitive Songs” (Oct. 30-Nov. 15). 

Theater with edge in a suburban mall? Don’t make assumptions, Little laughed: It feels like a good fit to him.

Echo’s first production in Theatre 134, a German play about self-image called “The Ugly One,” was staged before the former shop was a theater in anything but the loosest sense (no stage, barely any lighting); he didn’t know what to expect. “But we had to bring in extra chairs, and we were still turning people away,” he said. “(Mall) traffic brought in people who’d never heard of Echo before. I think people love to have arts in their community. They want us here.”