Rivian Theater event celebrates Pride Month in Laguna Beach

The Rivian South Coast Theater will host an LGBTQ+ Pride-themed night of short films and a panel discussion on Saturday evening.

Since the renovated venue reopened in December, it has become both a showroom for Rivian vehicles and an event space for the community.

Saturday’s event, “Adventure with Pride,” represents a collaborative effort between the theater and Laguna Beach Pride 365 to bring a cultural celebration to town. The programming is scheduled to run from 6 to 9 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. Those interested in attending can visit lagunabeachpride.org/events to RSVP.

“I think there’s a lot of people that feel that this is a big step forward for our presence, particularly with Laguna Beach Pride, but with the LGBTQ community to have something that is this nice,” said Craig Cooley, president of Laguna Beach Pride 365.

“I really appreciate the venue and what Rivian is doing to facilitate and support a community that, in my mind, is doing everything right — whether it’s the environment, whether it’s entertainment and culture, and fairness and diversity,” Cooley said. “That is all what Laguna Beach is about, and that is all what Rivian is supporting with events like this and others.”

The lineup of films includes “Out,” “Life of Pie” and “The Right to Joy.”

Afterward, Tony Caravano, Rivian’s senior director of experiential marketing and community engagement, will moderate a panel discussion.

The panelists include actor and writer Brandon Kyle Goodman, production designer Nelson Coates, surfer Kassia Meador and RaShawn Hawkins, the senior director of the workplace equality program at Human Rights Campaign.

“The Rivian Theater, we like to say that it’s 20% Rivian, 80% Laguna’s living room,” said Benjamin Burnett, a member of the marketing team at Rivian. “Obviously, if you want to buy a car, we’re not going to tell you no, but the theater is about so much more than that. … We’re trying to build not just sustainable vehicles, but we’re trying to build a sustainable community to support the wonderful communities that are already there.”