LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport City Council last week gave its approval to a concept proposed by the Lake County Theatre Co. for a new theater facility at Westside Community Park.
The Lake County Theatre Co. has presented live theater – from plays to musicals, including the very popular “Oklahoma” production last year – for more than 30 years. Over the last several years it has produced the summertime “Shakespeare at the Lake” productions in Lakeport’s Library Park.
The nonprofit organization is seeking to place a “black box” on the southeast corner of the Westside Community Park’s phase three, where a large grindings pile currently is located, just west of Fenway Street. The facility will be named the Joshua Phillips Blair Memorial Theatre.
At the start of the council’s Feb. 5 discussion, Mayor Tim Barnes – who has acted with the company – recused himself due to his wife being an uncompensated company board member. Council member Mireya Turner ran the meeting in his stead.
The discussion begins at the 48:15 mark in the video above. The staff report begins on page 38 of the agenda packet below.
Public Works Director Doug Grider said the theater company wants its own facility, as it currently has to rent the Soper Reese Theatre, where rent is fairly high. With their own facility, they plan to do theater for children and can store their props and other equipment.
A report from the organization included in the council’s agenda packet said rental of the Soper Reese for a three-week show exceeds $6,000, storage of props, sets and costumes costs them more than $8,000 a year and rehearsal space for a single show is about $500. To produce a musical costs about $20,000.
“We need to provide more opportunities for youth so that Lake County will have live theater for decades to come,” the theater company’s report said.
In three years, the theater company has raised $72,000 in its building fund, with an additional $12,000 committed, along with commitments from contractors.
They’re proposing a “black box concept” that allows them to start with a shell – that’s at least 3,000 square feet in size with parking for up to 50 cars – and build in as funds are available. Such a facility requires sewer and power, parking and proximity to a population and business center, according to the report.
Initially, it would have “flexible, portable and storable” seating, with bleacher-style or terraced seating to be added later. Other features of the facility would include an elevated stage with below stage workspace and retractable curtains, dressing rooms, and entry and lobby.
Grider said the theater group made a presentation to the Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission as well as the Westside Community Park Committee, and both of those bodies are supporting them in the endeavor to find a location for their own theater.
The theater company’s representatives also met with city staff to look at the concept. “At that time we had a lot of conversation about what really is all involved with setting up a theater or anything else on public property, city property,” including the need for infrastructure and utilities.”
An estimate given in the theater company’s report for the total cost to build the facility ranges between $163,000 and $210,000.
Grider said that while the theater group had that rough estimation of what they thought their costs are going to be, when staff brought up things that they hadn’t considered, it was clear they needed to do more work to get an idea of what they need to do.
Before the group starts spending money on things like engineering fees, they wanted to know if the council is in favor of working out an agreement with them, and they asked for the council’s approval in concept so they could proceed, Grider said.
Grider emphasized that the council was not being asked to approve the plans, just the concept in the event the theater group can meet all of the city’s requirements.
Suzanne Lyons, a member of the Lakeport Parks and Recreation Commission, said she was surprised when the theater company brought the plans to the commission, but after seeing their presentation, she understood what they need.
“I was really impressed with what they brought us,” Lyons said. “It really did seem to make sense.”
Lakeport resident Wilda Shock, who works with the theater company on Shakespeare at the Lake, grew up in Lake County and when she returned in the 1980s, was the executive director of the Lake County Arts Council for five years.
She said one of the long term plans with all of the county’s theater groups was to have a dedicated facility for a theater company or companies.
“This is a continuing effort,” she said, adding, “To have a dedicated space is a priority.”
Shock said such a new theater will be a major project for the community and fundraising will have to happen. Shock said Dennis Rollins, who chairs the Westside Community Park Committee, has seen interest in expanding what can happen at the park.
“It's still going to be a long road for the,” Shock said of the theater group, adding that she thinks they are starting to understand that, and have a lot of passion for the project.
Cindy Forbes, the Lake County Theatre Co.’s treasurer, said they are facing the reality of what the project will cost. “We do realize that working at Westside Community Park is going to be an enormous investment just to improve the land, certainly more than we had anticipated, looking at just the rough concept of it.”
Forbes said they’ve been told it could cost up to $150,000, and the group has $84,000 in its fund. They raise about $15,000 to $20,000 a year.
She also asked the city to keep the theater company in mind if they have the chance to obtain another property. “We just not have found a place to set ourselves down,” Forbes said, adding that they hope it’s Lakeport because they love being there.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said everyone appreciates some level of art. “I think would be a great opportunity” to have another theater facility in addition to the Soper Reese.
“And such a cool addition to the park,” said Councilwoman Stacey Mattina.
Parlet said moving more toward the arts is always a positive thing. “This is where art comes in, trying to make Lakeport a better place.”
Turner said the theater company is a focused and energetic group and she was impressed with how far they had made it in the process already. “The shows are just awesome.”
Parlet said that what helps with fundraising is having a discernable idea of where it will be built.
Turner noted that the building plan looks nebulous on purpose.
Parlet moved to approve the concept on the black box theater, with Mattina seconding and the council voting 3-0. In addition to Barnes’ recusal, Councilman George Spurr was absent for the meeting.
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