The Pasadena Playhouse
Lars Hansen tells of the
Playhouse's rise to fame
Evening falls on the
historic theater |
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA—
"I like
to imagine the Dusenburgs coming over the hills from Hollywood to Pasadena,"
said Lars Hansen. "They'd arrive here on El Molino Street in this
quiet residential neighborhood and say, ‘Well, here I am. Teach me how
to speak.'"
Lars Hansen,
Executive Director of the Pasadena Playhouse, was talking about the early
years of this historic theatre, when talking movies had just begun to
revolutionize the entertainment industry, and film actors suddenly had
more to worry about than their looks.
Founded in
1917 by Gilmor Brown, the Playhouse moved into its current building in
1924. The College of Theatre Arts, the acting school started in part by
Hollywood's need for speech training, rapidly gained in popularity and
reputation. Many a household name — Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, Sally
Struthers, to name just a few— studied here long before they vaulted to
fame.
California's
State Legislature declared the Pasadena Playhouse the State Theatre of
California by unanimous vote in 1937, and it continued to flourish for
twenty more years. A subsequent period of decline brought about the theatre's
closing in 1969, and it wasn't until a full decade later that the City
of Pasadena, with a grant from the Economic Development Agency, began
a restoration project that lead to a grand reopening in 1986.
Today, the
original buildings, restored and earthquake-resistant, are used for their
original purpose, to bring the best in live theatre to the people of the
Los Angeles area, and to train the next generation of performers.
The Pasadena
Playhouse
39 S. El Molino Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101-2023
www.pasadenaplayhouse.org
Where
Hollywood Learned to Speak
