They don’t call it the University of Construction at Los
Angeles for nothing.
The allure of architectural face-lifts strikes again at Geffen
Playhouse. Within the next year, the playhouse will undergo
detailed structural upgrades that even ABC’s “Extreme
Makeover” cannot compete with.
The playhouse is undergoing a $17.5 million structural
renovation, which should be completed by the 2005-2006 season.
During the renovations, the playhouse will temporarily reside at
the Brentwood Theatre, where it is kicking off its 2004-2005 season
with “Cookin’ at the Cookery,” opening June
15.
The Geffen has had a master plan to modernize the building
structure for the past 10 years. Gilbert Cates, board of directors
president, and architect Ronald Frink put those plans on the shelf
for three years to learn more about the theater by working in
it.
“It’s very similar to buying a house. Before you
decide to renovate or add rooms, and buy a pool, you move into it
and live in it a few years. Then, after you’ve lived in it,
you go back to it and modify it based on your experience from
living in it,” said Cates.
After settling into the playhouse, Cates and Frink envisioned a
theater that would accommodate all the Geffen’s needs.
“They need a facility to stage all types of productions
they do, because they do everything from a single-person show to a
large cast. They’ve done musical events to high drama events,
so flexibility is the most important thing,” said Frink.
Along with the need for flexibility, the design of the playhouse
was hit with what Frink calls a triple-prong challenge to satisfy
the demands of all parties involved with the playhouse, including
the theater company, the officials who write and impose safety
codes and the patrons of the theater.
One of the largest scale structural changes is the addition of a
125-seat second stage. According to Frink, there is not a
significant regional theater in the United States that operates
without a smaller theater. Frink said the playhouse hopes to use
the new smaller stage for readings, rehearsals and experimental new
plays.
“Lets say you write a play; it has five characters, we
want to see how good it is, we want to help you work on it. Now, we
have a small stage to put it on and invite our audience to see it,
and if we like it, maybe we bring it to the main stage and get an
audience,” Cates explained.
In addition to building a testing ground for original works, the
Geffen hopes that remodeling will eliminate some other limitations
that has kept it from being a more prominent regional theater. Some
of the upgrades will include a fly loft for the purpose of flying
scenery, a heightened proscenium to give stage managers and
directors flexibility, and two 20-person dressing rooms to
accommodate large casts and musicals.
“From the audience point of view, our audience is very
committed to the Geffen and was willing to sit in less than
comfortable seats, and have the temperature too warm and wait for
the bathroom. It’s OK for the first few years, but they want
to be cool in summer, warm in winter and have comfortable seats.
So, from an audience perspective, (the renovations) will contribute
to keeping the audience and encouraging a new audience,”
Cates said.
The upgrades include comfortable seats, temperature control and
improved sight-lines. These upgrades also meet the accessibility
requirements for current codes.
With all the remodeling, the one thing that will not change is
the original look of the Geffen. There is a definite romantic
attachment to the 1920s Mediterranean style of the playhouse, said
Frink. The courtyard and the main lobby will be cleaned up, not
destroyed in the renovations. In addition, Frink’s team is
trying to blend the original masonry materials with the new
building materials.
“The building is culturally important to everyone in terms
of the charm of old Westwood, the charm of the old campus, the
affiliation with UCLA. We wanted to do everything we could to
protect the old charm,” said Frink.
Many of these careful rejuvenation processes reflect the deep
ties between the playhouse and the Westwood community.
“The Geffen possesses a very intimate atmosphere. It is
rather small. Often the performers are doing the shows not for
large stipends of money, but more for the love of creating
theater,” said Robert Rudolph, a second-year theater student,
who works as a freelance carpenter and electrician for the
Geffen.
According to Cates, the Geffen is hoping that intimate feeling
will not be lost during the temporary move to the Brentwood
Theater. Instead, they hope Brentwood will be close enough in size
and proximity to the playhouse so as not to deter audiences.
But for students, non-pedestrian transportation is limited.
“For a student like me, who doesn’t have a car and
doesn’t know the area very well, I can’t guarantee I
would get the same vibe as I would from the playhouse,” said
Amy Troung, a first-year biochemistry student who walked to the
Geffen for “The Sugar Plum Fairy” in December.
The proximity of the playhouse’s permanent home on Le
Conte also helps to spread the word about upcoming plays.
“I guess it’s just easier to hear about the plays
(in Westwood). I noticed the play I was going to see because I was
walking by and saw the advertisement on the board,” said
Jamie Ladd, a fourth-year art history student, who saw
“Franny’s Way” at the Geffen last spring.
Despite these temporary setbacks, all involved with the
revivification processes feel as though it is necessary and worth
the hassle.
“I love that we’re helping to inaugurate a new
theater by coming to Brentwood, and then when we move back, people
from the Brentwood will come back to us at the Geffen,” said
Cates.
Perhaps the renovation of the Geffen is just keeping up with
renovations at other campus art buildings.
This past fall, the James Bridges Theater completed its
modernization. Last remodeled in 1976, the Bridges kicked off the
school year with refurbished seats, walls and carpet, as well as a
new digital sound system.
In the near future, the Hammer plans to remodel the museum. The
upgrades include the Billy Wilder Theater, which will house the
UCLA Film and Television Archive’s public screenings, and the
completion of Armand Hammer’s vision for expanded exhibition
space, which includes a reception and lecture hall as well as a
restaurant and updated bookstore. The Hammer will remain open
during construction.