Behind the Scenes of Creating the California Community Theatre Museum
I recently spent some time thinking about the long-term goals and specific intentions of California Communtiy Theatre - some already on the way, and some that allow for a place to go. One of my biggest hopes has always been for the site to include an online museum component, where readers/'visitors" could learn about the history of community theatre in the State.
Earlier this Spring, I submitted a book proposal on the subject of California Community Theatre history. *Side note: I have extensive gratitude for the theatres who contributed to the proposal with information and images. While the outcome did not play out as I had hoped (the publisher did not have enough confidence in sales from the limited theatres willing to participate; there was another option in which I could come up with the money to fund the book publication, but that, of course, is not possible when hosting a resource with free membership), it allowed the chance to return to my original goal of focusing on the online museum.
I know there is plenty of information to share, and because of working on the book proposal, I discovered some fantastic histories documented by individual theatres - Lamplighters Community Theatre and Hi-Desert Cultural Center, to name a few (just a few!). Enjoy their stories, and learn more as the blog develops. Thank you for being a part of California Community Theatre!
Picture from Hi-Desert Cultural Center's History Book, Volume 1, (1964-1969)