 |
|||
 |
|||
 By K. Reka Badger
|
2005 Autumn Home Page |
||
| At the dawn of 1911, Danish immigrants purchased nearly 10,000 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley and in four short years created a vibrant town. They built homes, shops and a folk school called Atterdag College, featuring a hillside stage that would eventually inspire construction of another cultural treasure, Solvang Festival Theater. Sixty-odd years after Solvang’s founding, the highly regarded Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (PCPA), based in Santa Maria, promised to mount a slate of summerproductions if the city would provide a theater. Community volunteers eagerly selected a site on Second Street, held a fund-raiser and, under the aegis of the Valley Arts Association, broke ground on June 10, 1974. “Built of air!” trumpeted one newspaper when Solvang Festival Theater (SFT), a quirky blend of Danish and Elizabethan architecture, turrets and timbered walls, opened just 58 days later. Though the facility lacked backstage dressing-rooms and permanent seating, a capacity crowd cheered the local debut of “Once Upon a Mattress.” Since then, countless theater-lovers have applauded top-notch performances at the 700-seat arena, the only open-air venue between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Annually, SFT generates roughly $3 million, welcome revenue that benefits the entire community. During the off-season, local groups use the facility for celebrations, ceremonies, thank-you lunches and even a holiday haunted house. “I look at Solvang Festival Theater like a museum,” says Diane Devine, Executive Director of SFT. “The fact that the theater is here adds to the unique charm of the Santa Ynez Valley. It’s an important part of our community and I feel privileged to be associated with it.” To keep SFT fresh and functional, the board of directors launched a vigorous campaign, under the rallying cry “A Stage for All Reasons,” to raise capital for much-needed repairs and upgrades. After two years of grant writing, face-to-face solicitation and public backstage tours, they have collected more than two-thirds of their $1.5 million target fund. “The board members went out to the community to ask people their priority items,” Devine explains, “and our first priority will be to build new public restrooms.  We’re also looking from a backstage perspective [where] we’re dealing with a lot of antiquated systems. The renovation is focused on safety, infrastructure and patron comfort. “As part of our capital campaign,” she continues, “we want to build a small community pavilion that will be enclosed, but designed so we can open one wall and have seating outside. This will expand the time period people can utilize the facility.” All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to PCPA, which leaves the SFT board of directors responsible for covering theater maintenance and operating costs, as well as any improvements. With renovations well underway in fall 2005, board members and supporters continue to raise money to keep the theater going strong. “I hope the campaign brings in more than we’re asking for,” Devine smiles. “When we reach our goal, the campaign will be concluded, but anyone who wants to donate after that point is welcome. We’ll never say no to a gift.” Donations help Solvang Festival Theater fulfill its mandate “to support and promote the presentation of quality live theater in the Santa Ynez Valley.” Despite repairs and new construction, Solvang Festival Theater will retain its original ambience and continue to serve the Santa Ynez Valley as a beloved cultural asset. “We don’t want to lose the charm of the place,” Devine declares. “A lot of people think it’s truly magical. We’ll probably end up with‘A Stage for All Reasons’ for a while, because that really is our mission.” |
|||
|
Copyright 2005, Inside Santa Ynez Valley Magazine, All Rights Reserved |
|||
