 Oak Middle School  |
In 1994 having just moved to
Los Alamitos from Cypress,
I can remember standing beside the shoulder-high block wall that separated
my home from the bike-path. And just beyond that, Oak Middle School. I've
since moved. But space #55 (double-nickel) is still fifty feet from the
back door of that small annex/rehearsal room where
OCHSA's young voices
sang and acted captivating my curiosity. We in the trade call it conjuring. And I remember thinking to myself how blest I was having performed as an actor all over the United States in regional theatres to finally come home and experience the performing arts in my own backyard. It was truly a surreal moment: watering and pruning roses, listening to George and Emily from Thornton Wilder's Our Town quietly talking, slurping imaginary sodas. It was then that I decided to give back to our community those gifts that had enriched my life. I threw my hat in the ring and became a volunteer. I was appointed to the Fine Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission for the City of Los Alamitos. |
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| Time passed. As our commission busied itself
with many events, I began to hear rumors and rumblings about OCHSA, the
bickering between the City Council and the School Board. And I thought, "What the heck is going on?" I could never get a straight answer from anyone. And the next moment OCHSA was gone, taking with it our community spirit at least a good portion of it. Being in the arts the sense of loss was overwhelming. Where did we go wrong? What were we thinking? Did we exhaust all our possibilities? And so on. All I knew is that music and song would no longer serenade my Double-Delights, American Beauties, or my favorite rose, Show Biz. Personally, I needed to fill the emptiness, the loss. I needed a project. |
 Wassy & Bonnie Woslager Royal Oak's ambassadors to Los Alamitos and the 'Rest of the World' |
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 Kent Johnson and Greg Leach discuss who should get top-billing! "Age before beauty" says Greg. "J" comes before "L" says Kent! Greg acquiesced |
In 1998 a new commissioner Kent Johnson came on board and
asked one question. What are we known for... here in Los Alamitos? My fellow commissioners offered a few possibilities. Certainly we had soccer, baseball, restaurants and medical facilities. And then Kent asked: What are we doing to promote the arts in our community? We are the Fine Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission, right? We piped-up! Proudly cheered our programs for Band in the Park , Concert on the Green, Holiday Home Decorating, Christmas Sing-a-long not to mention our Hollywood Bowl Trips. And we even had the beginnings of a photography club. But what are we doing to create a venue for the visual and performing arts? That started us thinking. |
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| A few months later Jim Matthis and myself presented a short
Reader's Theatre production of "Father & Son Relationships" at the
Book Connection/ Awakenings Coffee Shop. On that Saturday night about thirty
friends and neighbors congratulated us for an impressive first production
of scenes and songs. Kent said That's good! What's next? And we didn't have much. We heard that the Joint Forces Training Base had an auditorium that needed a little work and was virtually empty most of the year. Could we possibly use that facility? Not only would we be providing a venue for musicals, dramas, children's theatre and art exhibits, but also we would strengthen the ties between the Base and our community, hopefully assuring the life of the Base. Discussions about the theatre began. Meanwhile the City and the Joint Forces Training Base were busy refurbishing the swimming pool that gained notoriety when the US Women's Water Polo team decided they had found a new home. |
 A potential possibility was the JFTC Theater |
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| Then in 1999 with the verbal support of the city council under the guidance of Mark Wagner, and the invaluable clerical support of Gail Silva and her staff, we initiated The Westend as a 501C-3 Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation. The Foundation's objective then and now is to provide for the people of Los Alamitos and her neighboring communities a venue that will make an appreciable difference in the lives of all people by increasing their awareness of the visual and performing arts. We actively engaged in dialogue with Brigadier General Guido Portante (now retired) of the Joint Forces Training Base in hopes of gaining a lease agreement that would enable us to begin renovation the 1046 seat theatre. But money became our stumbling block. And the theatre was low on the General's list of priorities. It would take large sums to comply with ADA standards for restrooms, added parking, sidewalks, streetlights, support facilities, not to mention renovating the stage for lights and sound, as well as seats, carpeting and paint. Were we to give-up and walk away? No. All these projects could be completed in a timely fashion, given enough money. Meanwhile what was the Foundation to do? Wait? Certainly, not. |
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 Darlene Pauling, Secretary & Ashley Salsbury, Clerical Assistant |
On June first 2001 the Foundation launched a mini-season
to move from ground zero and test the market. At the helm Commissioners
Kent Johnson (director) and myself as producer aligned the Foundation with
Jim Choura, Loraine Rice and Bill & Steve Rubenacher of the Galley Catering
Company. Together this team provided a venue of dinner/theatre in the
Prop Room located at the Long Beach Airport Terminal. Opening in early July, playing only Friday and Saturday nights through October we showcased five great actresses in Nunsense II. We invited The Alley Cats for an evening of Doo-Wop and the next night showed Buster Keaton's film The General accompanied by the music and artistry of Rick Friend. And finally we engaged our acting company in a six-week run of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado. The success of this joint venture was very apparent. |
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| Then the events of September 11 occurred. We were dark the following
weekend but reopened September 21 and played until October 13. Yes,
security was tightened but "The show must go on!" We made adjustments.
First, we canceled six matinee performances due to Jet Blue's arrival. The restaurant normally closed on Saturday afternoons would now be opened to accommodate air-travelers. Second, we tightened security. Unable to use the North and South Observation Decks, we rerouted our entrances and exits. And third, people had to park further away from the terminal. But we all made it work! Audiences were more enthused than ever. People just needed to get out of their homes and gather together, to participate in a life-affirming activity. The final night of The Mikado we had many more guests than seats and sadly had to turn people away. As we completed our season, we knew two things. First, the arrival of Jet Blue into Long Beach would supersede any future calendar of events/performances at the Prop Room. Evening flights on Friday and Saturday would require that the restaurant remain open for air-travelers. And second, in order to make our operation financially viable we would need a larger facility. |
 Gail Silva, Community Services Manager busy reading; she wishes to remain anonymous |
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 Gail Gajewski, Department Secretary |
So, we packed-up and returned home to Los Alamitos. Our
concerns were many, but paramount to the success of our neighborhood theatre
was to provide adequate parking for our patrons. Los Alamitos has limited
space. The hunt for a larger facility with adequate parking, located
in an area that would not adversely impact community was paramount in our
search. The old adage location, location, location was ever on our mind. Our team looked at many sites from storefronts to warehouses, twenty-six locations in all. We seemed to bugging all of Brad Miles clients. Then we saw the Carr building off Winners Circle just beyond the grassy knoll and knew that we had arrived. Imagine... being winners on Winners Circle. "Hi, Mr. Carr, My name is Greg Leach and I see you have a building for lease?" |
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| Today our growing family is very eager for us to begin again.
People want an affordable venue to enjoy an evening of entertainment with
family and friends. And you know what? It's not far. It's right in
our... own backyard . Wow! We've come full circle
haven't we! We operated in the Winner's Circle for two years but continued to look for a permanent location. |
 The Sortmans having a great time at the Prop Room |
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In late 2002, we acquired rights to Los Alamitos property
once housing a large pharmacy. After months of refurbishment, we opened
with Nunsense in December 2002. Well, there it is folks, a simple beginning. Today we stand on the threshold of creating a very unique venue for our community. We will provide entertainment at The WestEnd and become a partner in our beautiful community. This is a monumental opportunity for each of us living in Los Alamitos, Cypress, La Palma, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and East Long Beach to support an endeavor that will benefit people in Orange County's WestEnd for years to come. I can remember the folks at Disney going door to door back in 1955 selling shares for $1. They were fearful that no one would come when they opened the gates. The rest is history. |
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