Stage Being Set for Scotts Valley Live Theater

By Noel Smith

After an indifferent and rocky first act, The Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild has begun to prove that it has the chops to make a theater happen in Scotts Valley.

Upon entering an agreement with the city to lease the vacant 9,000 square foot portion of the library for a nominal fee, the guild started in earnest to implement the plans formulated over the prior three years. But with that progress have also come changes.

An ambitious three-plus million-dollar project has now morphed into a more realistic strategy called PAC-LITE (Performing Arts Center), a downsized version of the original plan.

“Shelving our original design was a difficult decision for our members,” said theater organizer Lee Besse, “but it was the right thing to do. Our expenses will go way down, but the final product will still be amazing.”

The plan calls for a 230-seat theater that can accommodate anything from elaborate musicals to Sunday afternoon voice recitals.

“Our goal is to be a resource that meets the varied needs of the theatrical community at a cost that any group can afford,” said Besse. That altruistic approach has, in turn, produced a windfall of donations that no one in the group could have foreseen. “It’s as if someone turned on the spigot of generosity and it has flowed beyond our wildest dreams,” said board member Val Rebhahn.

Volunteers have given hundreds of hours in prepping the site for construction. Engineers, architects, tradesmen and contractors have donated their talents to produce plans that have now been submitted to the city for review. “It may sound ambitious, but we could see up to 400 bookings a year once this facility is up and running,” Besse added.

In addition to the services provided by the companies and individuals, perhaps the biggest benefit has come from a large project on the other side of town – the 1440 Multiversity.

The former Bethany University campus is experiencing an extensive renovation by the 1440 Foundation to create its Multiversity. In doing so, the interior of the campus’ theater was to be demolished and the entire internal core thus became surplus. All the lights, wires, control boards, seats, sound systems, microphones—integral to running a theater—were generously donated by the foundation to the SV Guild. Over the past weeks, teams of volunteers have been collecting, cataloging and storing this valuable and indispensable equipment.

“At 1440 we’re very excited to be coming to Scotts Valley, joining so many others in helping to support the needs of our community,” said Scott Krienes, head of the 1440 Foundation.

And that helping hand has been amazing. To date, the overall donation total in goods and services is approaching a million dollars. Those cumulative donations have allowed the guild to preserve the cash donations it has received and will result in the theater opening its doors earlier than anticipated. Guild members are cautious in naming an opening date, but one member hinted that mid 2016 was a real possibility, if their current schedule could be maintained.

“Pac-Lite would not have been possible without the extraordinary support from our community, the City of Scotts Valley, local businesses, Guild board members, and the City Council, particularly Randy Johnson and Mayor Dene Bustichi, who all along have maintained a strong belief in our project,” Said Besse. “Our volunteer construction team is ready to go. We’re gratified with where we are, but the best is yet to come as we bring a performing arts center to Scotts Valley.”

The Scotts Valley Community Theater Guild invites you to join them on their journey to bring the Center for the Performing Arts to Scotts Valley as a volunteer or a donor. Your donations will enable the Guild to bring the power of live theater to our community. Checks may be mailed to: 5601 Scotts Valley Drive, Scotts Valley, 95066. If you would like to make a pledge or are interested in volunteering, please contact the Guild at svctheaterguild@aol.com