A lady with a volunteer tag comments on the realism of the wooden crossbow, then reassures that the TNT beside it is fake. She then introduces the three Muppets in the corner, posed in mid-harmony and shows intricate thespian costumes fit for any Shakespearian stage. Then with a broad smile she asks if you would like to see a newspaper from 1953, and goes to fetch two white cotton gloves.
The Historical Society of Long Beach opened an exhibit late January on the iconic Long Beach Playhouse Theatres, showcasing the 85th anniversary of the local acting company with close ties to California State University, Long Beach.
“Pretty much every play includes at least one person who is currently attending or has graduated from CSULB,” Roxanne Patmor, the president of the Long Beach Playhouse’s board of directors, said. “So the college has definitely been a great asset to the playhouse in terms of training its future actors.”
Three alumni from CSULB are employed at the playhouse, carrying the legacy of its long history nurturing artists, according to Patmor. Additionally, the playhouse holds workshops for auditions and youths.
“We are, in every respect, here for the community—all of the community. That means students as well,” Andrew Vonderschmitt, the executive and producing artistic director of the Long Beach Playhouse, said. “There is much to be offered here, and I hope that students in Long Beach can partake as often as non-students.”
In the late ‘20s, a group of locals wished to create a community theatre. Within this desire lied the blueprint for what the playhouse has become today: the first and oldest community theatre operating west of the Mississippi River.
The exhibit sits in the lobby of the old Harris Furs building, which was a high-class fur boutique before going out of business long ago. The 7,500 square foot building is located in Bixby Knolls and was renovated in 2007 where it became the society’s main art gallery.
“I think it’s interesting to look at how the Playhouse has managed to continue to exist for more than 85 years,” Patmor said. “Obviously the city has changed in those years and the Playhouse has been able to change with it.”
In the late ‘20s, a group of locals wished to create a community theatre. Within this desire lied the blueprint for what the playhouse has become today: the first and oldest community theatre operating west of the Mississippi River.
The playhouse acting company has existed since 1929 and has consistently produced shows each year since; the only exceptions that stalled productions were the 1933 earthquake and the start of World War II as stated in the exhibit’s entrance panel.
“The brochure from the theater’s first production talked about the members coming together and putting on plays. It wasn’t about selling tickets or bottom lines,” Vonderschmitt said, describing a panel displayed in the exhibit. “It was just about providing art for the community – and that is still what we’re about.”
However, it wasn’t until the early 1950’s that the playhouse finally found theater. The acting company spent nearly 10 years to raise the money and finally buying the land in 1948, then built the building and open its doors in 1951.
“[The building] was built by the playhouse to be their theater, so the only thing it’s ever been is the Playhouse Theatres,” Patmor said.
Since its humble beginnings, the Long Beach Playhouse has produced 13 shows a year, racking up nearly 1,000 performances amongst its two stages, the Mainstage and the Studio Theatre.
“Since the playhouse has two stages we can … appeal to a broad audience,” Madison Mooney, the Business & Operations Manager, said from an exhibit info panel. “We do comedies, drama, Shakespeare [and] musical; if you want to see the summer musical downstairs or a dark show in the studio, there’s that for you.”
According to its website, the Long Beach Playhouse’s production schedule is unmatched in the region with a new program opening every three weeks and 35,000 guests served every year.
The intellectual comedy about a dare between a playwright and his wife, titled “The Real Thing,” covers the marquee with half-priced tickets for the preview premiering Friday at 8 p.m.
“The studio plays are selected with a young and diverse audience in mind,” Patmor said. “From the absolute beginning, the playhouse encouraged their members to become playwrights [who] would [then] put on their original productions. That’s still done today.”
Opening night will feature a champagne gala for the premiere on Saturday with shows continuing until March 28.
“Clearly, it’s different people working there,” Patmor said. “But somehow that commitment to the community and to bringing great live theater to Long Beach is passed along from one to another for 85 years—and it’s worked.”