Theatre History in Downey, CA

I recently had some interesting conversations with a couple folks from the John Hume Performing Arts Foundation. Pauline Hume is the widow of John Hume, who was asked by the city to start the first production of what became the Downey Children's Theatre in 1955, starting at Rio Hondo Elementary school's auditorium. His successful programs then became the catalyst for the city building the Downey Civic Theatre in 1970. The theatre expanded widely into many different programs, including legitimate adult theatre, experimental theatre, marionette and musicals with what is now the Downey Civic Light Opera. With the passage of Prop 13 in 1978, the city was forced to withdraw funding for the theatre programs, which all but shut down all operations except for the profitable CLO. More of that history can be read at this link.

On Downey Avenue, the 800 seat Avenue Theatre began it's life in the 20's as a legitimate theatre before it became a movie house. It has a full proscenium, fly system and dressing rooms in the basement. It was also home to a ballet school for awhile.

Apparently next door, there was a store-front theatre run by a John Williams that put on shows like "Harvey," and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," from around 1954 to 1958. Larry Dusich, who has spent some time compiling the history of theatre in Downey, performed there as a kid. He remembers getting dressed in the back of the store, then heading out to the alley between the stores and the Avenue, walking around the corner of 3rd and Downey, past the entrance to the Avenue, and then enter the stage from the front, where they performed with their backs to Downey Avenue.

South of there, past 2nd Street, was a another small theatre that some have labeled the "El Teatro." It was in the building now occupied by the former Popcorn video and a beauty supply store. The space was divided up, but remnants of the original roof, skylights, and front office remain, apparently. I'm not sure what it was used for.

I'd love to see some version of a 99-seat equity waiver or store-front theatre back in Downey, putting on legitimate plays, both modern classics and "classic" classics like Shakespeare. Truth is that the Downey Civic Theatre, and the Avenue for that matter, are both too big to launch a small theatre company that wants to keep its costs down, its quality high, and hedge against the inherent risks. A smaller space, ideally on Downey Avenue or equally central to the city could find a regular audience, build a subscriber base, and then maybe eventually move into a bigger space.