Berkeley Community Theater facts for kids
|
The "Bird Cage"
|
|||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||
 Berkeley Community Theater
Location in California
|
|||||||||||
| Location | Berkeley, California, U.S. | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°52′06″N 122°16′17″W / 37.86845°N 122.27147°W | ||||||||||
| Type | Theater | ||||||||||
| Capacity | 3,491 | ||||||||||
| Opened | 5 June 1950 | ||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
The Berkeley Community Theater is a large performance hall. It is located in Berkeley, California, within the campus of Berkeley High School. The theater is managed by the Berkeley Unified School District. It was named a Berkeley Landmark on December 7, 1992. This means it is an important historical building in the city. The theater is also part of the wider Berkeley High School Campus Historic District. It is also part of the Berkeley Historic Civic Center District.
Contents
About the Theater
The Berkeley Community Theater is a beautiful building. It has an Art Deco design, which was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. This style often uses geometric shapes and rich decorations. The theater has 3,491 seats, including a special balcony section. It has a very large stage. There is also an orchestra pit that can move up or down. This pit is where musicians can play during a show.
Inside the same building, there is also a smaller theater. It is called the Florence Schwimley Little Theater. This smaller space is often used for performances by Berkeley High School students. They use it for music concerts and plays.
History of the Theater
Building the Theater
The plans for the theater were made in 1938. Construction started in 1941. However, building the theater took a long time. It was not finished until 1950. This was because of delays caused by World War II. During the war, many resources were used for the war effort.
Students at Berkeley High School during the war had a nickname for the unfinished building. They called it the "Bird Cage." This was because the metal frame was exposed. Many seagulls would sit there, waiting for students to finish their lunches.
The Wurlitzer Organ
The theater was designed to have a special theater organ. But one was not put in when the theater was built. In the 1980s, a large organ was moved to the theater. It came from the Paramount Theater in Toledo, Ohio. The Nor-Cal Theater Organ Society installed it.
This organ is a Wurlitzer. It is one of the biggest and best organs in the world. It has 41 ranks, which are sets of pipes. It also has two full consoles with four keyboards each, plus pedals. Volunteers from the Society take care of the organ.
Famous Performances and Speakers
Many famous artists have performed at the Berkeley Community Theater. These include Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin. Other well-known musicians like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Elton John have also played there. Bands such as The Grateful Dead, Genesis, and Metallica have performed. Metallica even recorded an album there with the San Francisco Symphony.
The theater has also hosted many important speakers. These include the Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, and Bernie Sanders. Other notable speakers were Timothy Leary, Al Franken, and Amy Goodman.
Funding and Renovations
The people of Berkeley have often helped fund the theater. In 2000, voters passed something called Measure AA. This set aside about $15 million for theater renovations. However, some of these funds were later used to build a new administration building for Berkeley High School.
Some money did come back to the theater. It was used to fix the fire alarm system. During this work, the grand curtain on the stage was damaged. In July 2009, the curtain was finally replaced. All other soft goods, like drapes, were replaced too.
In the spring of 2010, a new sound system was put into the theater. This made the sound quality much better for performances. Major renovations started again in July 2020. These were paid for by a school facilities bond measure from 2010.
