Scherr Forum Theatre · Thousand Oaks, California

Thousand Oaks is a suburban community northwest of Los Angeles. For some years there had been considerable community pressure to build a facility for use by local performing groups large and small, and by outside professional touring groups. In 1989 the City determined to build such a facility as part of a new City administrative complex. Previous feasibility studies had recommended construction of a single large theatre, but when Ward Design Group began working with representatives of local arts organizations it became evident that the needs of the smaller local users would be much better met with a 400 seat theatre, whereas the large local users, and outside touring groups in that market, would need 1,800 seats.

Ward Design Group recommended combining the little theatre and the planned city council chamber into a single space. WDG designed a space that changes from a fully equipped 400 seat theatre to a 280 seat meeting chamber by means of a floor lift and seat wagons. The change is made every week, and is accomplished in 20 minutes with a crew of three stagehands.

The project received a US Institute for Theatre Technology Architectural Merit Award for 1994.

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