Unless you live in Stratford upon Avon.

The building and the institution has been around since the twenties, so this is not even the second or third time it's closed its doors. And (I think) this is at least the fourth or fifth iteration of the company. If not more. At least the building is an historical landmark, so it would be very difficult for a developer to come in and put a car park there.

Still. It was a home. And a major regional theater to boot. As of today, there is no longer a State Theater of California (unofficial).

And on a slightly pettier note, the pool of searching techies just grew, while the number of venues for work just shrunk.

But...theaters open.

Not right now and not in California. We rank last in the nation for arts funding and most of the theatres in the state are really hurting. We've lost far too many long standing and good theatres statewide in the last two years. San Jose watched one of the longest running musical theatre organizations shut down this past year when American Musical Theatre of San Jose went bankrupt.

Pasadena Playhouse is closing the doors with a faint hope that they can eventually reorganize and reopen at some point in the future, but it is a very sad day for the arts in LA and a very sad day for lots of personal friends who are tied to that theatre.

Plus the city of LA has announced that it's considering cutting off all funding to the arts.

I really don't want to leave LA, let alone the state of California, but with the direction theater is going, it's a possibility I have to consider. I know for sure at least a couple of my friends from the Playhouse think moving out of state may be their only option. Blood. Family. People who mean as much or more as Buffistas to me.

And, as I posted on facebook earlier today, I don't like being a mortician.

Oh Sean... I'm so sorry-- it's got to be like saying goodbye to such an integral piece of yourself.

Pasadena Playhouse has the best green room of any theater I've worked at. It will open again, Sean. It will take time, but that house has too many ghosts to vanish.

I personally (and alone) pulled, coiled and stowed about a quarter mile of cable. All of the cables were one hundred or two hundred foot runs. Most of it power or mult (only two runs were dainty little XLR cables). All of them were run up the stage left juliet and over the first AP above the proscenium to the three mains clusters (meaning there was no easy or quick way to pull them).

In under two hours.

My hands, arms, shoulders and back hate me right now. The Ibuprofen is, at best, keeping them from all out riot.

Oh crap. I think I've stood on the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse.

When I was on my last go-round with California in 1990-91, my brother had some business in Pasadena, so I tagged along. I walked around the streets, and came across the PP.

I think I walked down the alley. As I wandered around the side door was propped open, so I just walked inside. I could hear people milling about in the back, but felt perfectly at home to saunter in.

I have a habit of stepping on stage of any theater I come across, even if it's only the sides. After so many many plays in college, it feels like a normal thing to reconnect. I likely did.

I had to head back to rendezvous with my brother, so I didn't stick around.

Does that sound like the PP? is there a side scenery/shop door that debouches into the alley? I was only there the once, and that was 20 years ago.

In any case, my condolences on your loss, Sean. Losing a job is a terrible thing, closing a playhouse must be doubly so.