The show must go on, and it has been for 98 years at The Alcazar Theatre in downtown Carpinteria. The brainchild of character actor Oliver Bettle Prickett — a k a Oliver Blake, perhaps best known locally for his uncredited role in Casablanca — the Spanish-style theater opened as a movie house, screening The Fifty-Fifty Girl starring Bebe Daniels and Warner Oland on a Friday night in April 1928. Primarily a movie theater over the decades, the name and proprietors have changed more than a few times. Sixteen years ago, it became a 501(C) (3) nonprofit and returned to its original name in 2017.
Today, the Alcazar is a performing arts center offering plays, films, concerts, lectures, workshops, and classes among other events. Currently, summer drama camp is in full swing, and the December weekends are blacked out for the town’s beloved holiday-themed traditional show — this year it’s A Christmas Carol following Miracle on 34th Street’s five-year run. (Odds are, if you live in Carp, you have been part of the cast and/or crew, sat in the audience, or volunteered at the snack bar on more than one December night.)
The way the theater is configured, a multitude of different offerings are possible, according to Mike Lazaro, president of the board of directors. “One day, we could do stand-up comedy or a play. Then we can pivot two days later and host a full concert series. To me, that’s our magic. Others don’t have that ability.”
Director, Operations & Development Lynne Herrell adds, “Yeah, but it’s really a multidimensional performing arts center, right? It’s not just, you know, acts coming in, but there’s this huge community component, education, and outreach that we really try and balance.”
That balancing act is driven by family and community friendly, not politically nor religiously driven guidelines. Don’t think prudish or Disney overkill, but more along the lines of it’s up to the patron to read the event’s description and take responsibility for their choices.
The active calendar of events is updated on the website on the regular. Here is a sampling:
The Third Annual Hanne Pedersen One-Act Festival is scheduled for the weekends of July 11 and 17. The festival premieres seven original one-act comedies, which were juried by an Alcazar panel from a call for submissions to playwrights from Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. Pedersen, who died from cancer, served on the theater board and with Åsa Olsson, presently serving as the organization’s board vice president and secretary, cofounded the Carpinteria Community Theatre, a precursor to The Alcazar Theatre.
Carpinteria Improv meets weekly at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays for drop-in classes. The fee is $10.
South Coast Stand-Up Comedy, featuring a lineup of world-class comedians, has been performing monthly on a Saturday night.
A weekly Wednesday movie matinee with children as the target audience runs through summer vacation.
For the second year, the curtain will rise for the Carp Film Fest. To be held in mid-August and Central Coast–centric, the festival features films that are diverse in genre and length with an emphasis on shorts.
Thanks to the success of Italian composer and pianist Antonio Artese’s concert in April, a jazz festival is in the works for fall after the Avocado Festival in early October. Plans include other Carpinteria venues to host jazz musicians, too.
Singer Song is a format integrating storytelling with music and songs. Performers tell their story, or stories, behind a particular song. Others tell a full-blown story between the music they play and sing. Songs from Joni Mitchell are next, with no date set yet. Photo Stories is similar, but pictures, à la a slideshow, accompany the storytelling.
The Alcazar Ensemble is the group of actors, crew, and other performance-related fellows who call the theater home. The ensemble is behind the annual week-long Spring Break Theatre tailored for the younger set and their families, along with other productions like the One-Act Festival and A Christmas Carol.
In between the regularly scheduled events, classes, and workshops, the theater remains busy with an ever-changing eclectic lineup. Up-and-coming bands touring the state sometimes make a stop in between their Los Angeles and Bay Area gigs for a concert. Other times, well-known bands use the venue for rehearsal (but that’s a secret). An ad hoc public meeting has filled the seats in times of emergencies. The Rotary Club of Carpinteria Talent Showcase is a guaranteed sell-out in the spring. Even birthday parties and other private celebrations make use of the space.
A few elements, such as the sparkly cleanliness, enhance the establishment’s entertainment experience. Tied for first place are being greeted by a friendly volunteer and the aroma of freshly popped popcorn, then seeing Island Brewing on tap — and it’s okay to bring both into the auditorium. Every seat is a good seat visually and aurally, all 200 of them. Date night is fun again and doesn’t break the bank. In very walkable downtown Carpinteria, parking is not painful — there are a city parking lot across the street (free but be sure to check the stall for the varying time limits), bike racks in front, nearby bus stops, and the Amtrak Station is a 10-minute (or fewer) walk.
The organization is fueled by volunteers and all are welcome to join the ranks. A performing arts center, though, cannot live by volunteers alone. Funds must be raised. A capital campaign with a $98,000 target in honor of the theater’s 98th year is underway. Maintenance is an ongoing concern, as is making state-of-the art equipment improvements to better host different types of events. At the half-year mark, Olsson estimates they’re at the halfway mark of their goal.
Funds are spent as soon as there are enough for a slated project. Recently, a wooden-fenced courtyard was completed to complement the RV serving as a green-room annex outside the building next to the stage door.
“The seating in the theater is a big one, getting them all reupholstered and reinforced. We need a new film screen, and we’ve had two generous donors have reached out to help cover that,” said Olsson. Other specific targets for this year are installing more environmentally friendly water fountains, i.e. auto-filling water stations; new paintings from area artist John Wullbrandt; and creating scholarships and sponsorships.
“We’ll consider it a successful campaign when we reach $98,000, but we would never say, ‘Oh, we don’t need it,’” sums up Olsson. “We couldn’t stop fundraising because there’s ongoing operational development costs.”
The Alcazar Theatre is located at 4916 Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria. The best way to inquire about booking, donations, or volunteering is to email [email protected]. For general info, call (805) 684-6380 or visit thealcazar.org.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.com ’
