Performances at a bottleneck

Many Laguna Beach performing arts groups have no place of their own to perform and some have staged a protest by leaving town. Others could follow.

The City Council appointed a subcommittee Tuesday to pursue a suitable venue for performing groups that have been denied the use of the Artists Theatre on the Laguna Beach High School campus or the Festival Forum Theatre, or find those and other sites unsuitable.

“All of us can agree that there is not enough performance space for all the groups,” said Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman, one of two appointees to the subcommittee. “It is time to get our act together and find a theater.”

Kinsman proposes to bring together the city, the business community, the school district and the arts organizations in the effort. Councilman Kelly Boyd volunteered to serve with Kinsman on the subcommittee. Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rose Hancock and chamber President Jeff Redcker pledged support from the business community.

And there was no lack of support from representatives of the performing arts groups, who have grappled for years with school district policies that make it difficult to book dates for the Artists Theatre, long billed as a community asset. Public and private money was donated to the remodel and voters passed a bond issue that helped to build rehearsal space.

“The city put $300,000 into the Artists Theatre,” said Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda, a singer who performs with various groups. “Many of us bought seats [as donations].”

Kollenda said what she wants most is to be able to find out in advance when the theater has been booked. A posted calendar would do, she said, and offered her services to the committee.

A calendar would enable performing arts groups to know when they could reserve the theater, which the groups generally need to do at least a year in advance and not be subjected to change except for Acts of God.

The district maintains the theater must first serve the students and is reluctant to tie it up too far out on the calendar.

Lucinda Prewitt was able to secure dates for the next two years for her annual Music Festival, “if all goes well.”

“Our January dates do not conflict with any school projects,” Prewitt said. “That is a major reason we switched from April.”

Other groups have not been not been so successful. Pacific Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Concerts were aborted because they couldn’t get firm dates, Prewitt said. The Laguna Beach Chamber Music Society no long presents concerts there.

“We are losing creative talent that we have fostered in this city,” Kinsman said. “We lost Ballet Pacific, and we are on the verge of losing Ca Dance.” This annual dance festival might have to be changed if Ca Dance finds out before deadline it could not get the dates requested.

Ca Dance was to learn Thursday if it had been granted dates for the Artists Theatre.

Dance performances have special space requirements and Ca Dance Vice President Christine Rhoades offered to share the specifications with the subcommittee. Chris Quilter, representing No Square Theatre, applauded Kinsman for bringing the situation into the spotlight.

“If you are running for reelection, you have my vote,” Quilter said. “Laguna needs a venue.”

He suggested looking for ways to utilize existing venues, as well as seeking new ones.

“The Laguna Playhouse is built on city property,” Quilter said. “Could it not present Ca Dance? Could it not carve out a week in the spring or in the fall for a local festival of performing arts?”

The movie theater on South Coast Highway also has potential. Quilter said he could easily imagine how to use it for live performances.

As for the Artists Theatre “” where a No Square Theatre production was staged last weekend “” Quilter said there is a deep divide among good people on how it should be used: solely for the school or shared with the community.

“Could not town and gown come together?” he asked.

The agreement between the district and the city on the use of the 425-seat theater is due to expire in 2012.

“We are fortunate that Laguna has become so popular with performing arts groups that we are faced today with a critical lack of performance space,” Kinsman said. “The Arts Commission has compiled a report showing that a vibrant arts atmosphere is good for business so it is appropriate that the council set up a subcommittee to bring together arts organizations and business groups to solve the problem.”