[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 69 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SALUTING THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE: CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF LOCAL 
                         COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES E. ROGAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 2000

  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important and active centers 
for the arts in Southern California is the Pasadena Playhouse. Later 
this month, this distinguished theatre company will celebrate its 75th 
anniversary. In recognition of this achievement, and in gratitude for 
the center's contributions to the arts in Pasadena, Los Angeles County, 
and to the state of California, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
saluting the Pasadena Playhouse.
  The Pasadena Playhouse began as nothing but a dream. After a group of 
dedicated Pasadena area residents united to promote the arts, the 
center opened its doors in May 1925. Since then, it has grown from a 
small community theater company into a national arts leader, taking 
musicals, dramas and other stage performances from concept planning to 
opening day.
  In the years since its opening, the Pasadena Playhouse has 
revolutionized theater arts in Southern California. To many in the 
industry, the playhouse has put Southern California stage productions 
on the map. Numerous productions have moved on from Pasadena to 
Broadway, were made into feature films or continued on as national 
touring shows. In 1996, the production, Sisterella broke local house 
records receiving eight NAACP Theatre Awards, including Best Play. This 
is just one of the many successful shows to open in Pasadena every 
year.
  In addition, the theatre has become the center of a large community-
based arts program. The Pasadena Playhouse is home to a half-dozen 
original plays each year, with 300 annual performances. The artists who 
produce, write, direct and star in these plays have also played a vital 
role in the community, leading lecture series, arts programs, classes 
and open houses for residents young and old.
  On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the theatre has been 
recognized as the state theatre of California. To help the city and the 
state commemorate this significant occasion, I ask my colleagues to 
join me in saluting the men and women who have brought the arts to our 
community for nearly a century, and helped to put Pasadena and Southern 
California on the map in the theatre world: Congratulations to the 
Pasadena Playhouse for 75 successful years.

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