Hayworth Theatre

The Hayworth Theatre is a theater and performing arts center at 2511 Wilshire Boulevard in the Westlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The facility houses 99-seat, 42-seat and 49-seat auditoriums and a 1,500 square-foot ballroom used for rehearsals, classes, and special events.[2] The building was designated as a cultural-historic landmark by the city of Los Angeles in 1983.[3]

Hayworth Theatre
Marquee of the Hayworth Theatre in 2006
Formation2006
TypeTheater Company
Purposetheatrical productions
Location
  • 2511 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
Owner
Jenji Kohan
Artistic Director
Gary Blumsack[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The building that houses the Hayworth is significant due to its association with Stiles O. Clements of the architectural firm Morgan, Walls & Clements, who designed many other Los Angeles theatres as well as many of the buildings in the Wishire historical district. It originally opened in 1926 as the Masque Theatre, a playhouse. The structure is in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, also called the ornate Churriqueresque style.[4]

In 1950 the building was renovated by architect Dwight Gibbs and became the Vagabond, a movie theatre. The Vagabond lasted as a movie theater for several decades but finally went out of business in 1985.[5] For a time the site was occupied by an evangelical church.

The La Fonda Restaurant Building was designated Historic-Cultural Monument No. 268 on June 24, 1983.[6] This restaurant, established in 1968, shared the building but closed in early 2014.[7] The Hayworth Theatre Company became resident here in 2006.The theatre housed award-winning theater company The New American Theatre from 2006-2011. Artistic Director and actor Jack Stehlin performed there, as well as other notable actors such as Alfred Molina, Katie Lowes, Jill Gascoine, and Robert Cicchini.[3] TV writer Jenji Kohan purchased the building in November 2013. Her husband and business partner, Christopher Noxon, indicated that she is planning on using the second floor as production offices for writers and editors on her TV shows.[7]

In 2017, former Hollywood Improv booker and artistic director Jamie Flam launched a kickstarter campaign to reopen the venue under the name Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth. Operating as a hub for comedy, variety, screenings, and more,[8] the new venue launched in January 2018 and has since hosted a multitude of shows and events, including performances by Ilana Glazer, Patton Oswalt, and Margaret Cho.

References
  1. About The Hayworth Management
  2. http://cinematreasures.org:Hayworth Theatre
  3. Movie Palaces along Wilshire Boulevard: Hayworth Theatre
  4. theatreinla.com:The Hayworth
  5. John M. Wilson, "Vagabond Theatre Fades Out" Los Angeles Times, November 28, 1985
  6. City of Los Angeles Office of Historic Resources "Historic-Cultural Monument List" Accessed 14 March 2014
  7. Ng, David (March 13, 2014) "Historic Hayworth Theatre is entering a new stage of life" Los Angeles Times
  8. "The Hayworth Theatre in Westlake is Reopening as a Comedy Venue". 24 October 2017.

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