Los Angeles Theatre Center 38th Anniversary

	Los Angeles Theatre Center 38th Anniversary It’s hard to believe that it has been 38 years since construction workers, volunteers, actors, and anyone involved in this labor of love gave applause and a standing ovation as the curtains would be set to open at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown LA. With inspiration from the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theatre, John Sergio Fisher and Associates took to paper and pencil (there were no computer programs for design such as Revit back then) to design a 4 stage theatre complex for the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), formerly the Los Angeles Actor’s Theatre. The 16 million dollar, newly constructed and historically renovated performing arts complex located at 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles would serve as a permanent residence for the theatre company, as the previous space was rented. JSFA’s design included 3 plush new mid-size houses in the new building addition to the 1916 historic bank building and a 99 seat black box theatre in that bank building, totaling 1,221 seats, plus state of the art audio and visual equipment, which was a far cry from LATC’s previous theater location in Hollywood, which only had 214 seats. With its 4 stages, the theatre “will be large enough to let the actor open up, but small enough so that the actor and audience will be able to bond in a way impossible in a culture palace”, as stated in the LA Times. The complex itself is essentially a quartet of smaller playing spaces opening up to a grand lobby. The 1st theatre has an open stage and 503 seats, the 2nd theatre has a proscenium stage and 296 seats, the 3rd theatre has a thrust stage with 323 seats, and the 4th theatre has flexible seating with a black door. All of the theatres flow into the lobby, which was designed as a village square. The sound of the low hum of four shows going on at once would serve as a reminder that the theatre is located at the heart of the city. Today, the Los Angeles Theatre Center, which has been operated by the Latino Theatre Company for over the past 15 years, has five theatre spaces where they produce theatre, dance, and music programming, along with creating summits and artistic discussions for peoples of all cultures. JSFA is humbled to be a part of one of America’s great ensembles Read More >
Previous Post› Next Post› BACK TO What's New›

It’s hard to believe that it has been 38 years since construction workers, volunteers, actors, and anyone involved in this labor of love gave applause and a standing ovation as the curtains would be set to open at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in downtown LA. With inspiration from the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theatre, John Sergio Fisher and Associates took to paper and pencil (there were no computer programs for design such as Revit back then) to design a 4 stage theatre complex for the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), formerly the Los Angeles Actor’s Theatre. The 16 million dollar, newly constructed and historically renovated performing arts complex located at 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles would serve as a permanent residence for the theatre company, as the previous space was rented.

JSFA’s design included 3 plush new mid-size houses in the new building addition to the 1916 historic bank building and a 99 seat black box theatre in that bank building, totaling 1,221 seats, plus state of the art audio and visual equipment, which was a far cry from LATC’s previous theater location in Hollywood, which only had 214 seats. With its 4 stages, the theatre “will be large enough to let the actor open up, but small enough so that the actor and audience will be able to bond in a way impossible in a culture palace”, as stated in the LA Times.

The complex itself is essentially a quartet of smaller playing spaces opening up to a grand lobby. The 1st theatre has an open stage and 503 seats, the 2nd theatre has a proscenium stage and 296 seats, the 3rd theatre has a thrust stage with 323 seats, and the 4th theatre has flexible seating with a black door. All of the theatres flow into the lobby, which was designed as a village square. The sound of the low hum of four shows going on at once would serve as a reminder that the theatre is located at the heart of the city.

Today, the Los Angeles Theatre Center, which has been operated by the Latino Theatre Company for over the past 15 years, has five theatre spaces where they produce theatre, dance, and music programming, along with creating summits and artistic discussions for peoples of all cultures. JSFA is humbled to be a part of one of America’s great ensembles