California
Cultural and Historical
Endowment (CCHE) profile:
The Latino Theater Company – Reviving the
center of multicultural theater in downtown Los
Angeles
Located
on South Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles,
the New Los Angeles Theater Center Project was one
of the first multi-million dollar projects to be
funded by CCHE in Round One of its funding cycles.
This exciting CCHE renovation project was
completed in the spring of 2008 and the
four-theater multi-use space is now being used for
a variety of programs including culturally diverse
plays, dance, art exhibitions and social events.
Façade
and entrance of the new Latino Theater
Company.
Building was Security National Bank Building
.
[Photo
courtesy the New LATC]
The
original Los Angeles Theater Center (LATC),
created in 1982 from the historic Security
National Bank Building and an adjacent parking
lot, was operated by a non-profit group until 1991
when, due to financial failure, the City of Los
Angeles took it over. In subsequent years, the Los
Angeles City Cultural Affairs Department used the
complex as a rental venue.
The
Latino Theater Company (LTC), the organization
that received the CCHE grant, saw the urban
center’s potential to host diverse cultural
arts. The LTC is responsible for successfully
completing the four million dollar renovation of
what is now the New LATC. On March 3, 2006, LTC
received funding approval from CCHE for
rehabilitating the theater center as a
multi-cultural performing arts center and cultural
museum. The four theaters within the New LATC
contain from 90 to 498 seats with over 80,000
square feet for performance, and administrative
and gallery space.
Saving
the old – improving the new
|
Lobby
of the new Latino Theater Company.
[Photo courtesy the New
LATC]
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CCHE
funded several striking improvements to the
theater complex such as the elegant handrails and
glass around the stairs and second floor terrace,
moving the central staircase to open up more space
in the grand lobby and installing new bamboo wood
flooring. Intrinsic to the historic bank building
were several beautiful and unique features that
were maintained in the new design including the
granite façade and inside - a marble wall,
stained glass window ceiling, and ornate plaster
cornice.
Other
improvements involved basic building systems -
generator, elevator repairs, improved fire and
safety systems - as well as technical theater
systems, refurbished theater seating, improved
restrooms and dressing rooms, upgraded lighting,
and the conversion of a basement space into a
well-lit gallery for showcasing art and cultural
displays.
Cultural
Roundtable rounds out the CCHE Project
The
LTC, with its strong focus on culture, has invited
all cultural and ethnic groups in the region to
create a “Cultural Roundtable” for
participation in the New LATC. This group is
composed of representatives from LTC,
Playwrights’ Arena, Robey Theatre Company
(African-American), Cedar Grove Productions
OnStage (Asian), Culture Clash (Latino), and
American Indian Dance Theater. The University of
California at Los Angles (UCLA) School of Theatre,
Film and Television serves in a program advisory
capacity. LTC Artistic Director, Jose Luis
Valenzuela, is also a drama professor at UCLA
where he heads the MFA Directing Program.
A
place for the future
In
addition to providing much needed rehearsal and
performance space to established theater and dance
companies, one of the goals of the New LATC is to
promote young and experimental artists by
providing them with opportunities to develop
audiences and improve their artistic skills in a
supportive, multi-cultural environment.
Considering the LTC philosophy, it follows that
for Los Angeles residents and visiting cultural
adventurers alike, this latest renaissance and
transformation of the LATC into the New LATC has
resulted in the place “…where the convergence
of people, cultures and ideas gives birth to our
future.” (Mission page on LTC website – www.latinotheater.com
6-3-08) The completed CCHE Project has once again
become a cultural fixture in the downtown Los
Angeles community and an anchor for future
revitalization efforts in the area.
For
information on the Latino Theater Company and the
New LATC visit their website at www.latinotheater.com
or call (213) 489-0994.
For
more information on the CCHE Project, contact
Project Manager Tony Planchon at (916) 651-9795.
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