On Stage Downtown : Los Angeles Theatre Center Celebrates Fifth Anniversary of Serving a Diverse Audience at Spring Street Location

At this gala, the location was a statement. For five years, Los Angeles Theatre Center has survived as a sort of Ft. Apache of the Arts on crime-ridden Spring Street. So when it came time for its first black-tie gala, it was only natural it be held on LATC’s turf--downtown at night.

“The culture of LATC is multicultural contemporaneity,” said artistic director Bill Bushnell before Thursday night’s party at the Biltmore Hotel. “And to be in the center of that you have to be downtown.”

“This theater reflects something about the city and the country,” said Tyne Daly. “It reflects the human condition which includes folk of all sorts--not just whites, not just guys.”

For Elizabeth Montgomery, the group “epitomizes what theater can be: generous, innovative, fun, exiting and something for everyone. No one is excluded from LATC. It’s a totally unselfish place.”

Among those included in the gala, chaired by Shelby Kaplan Sloan and Bobbie Liebenbaum, were actors Buck Henry, Carol Kane, Robert Foxworth, Mary Woronov, Esai Morales, Madge Sinclair, and Ron Leibman with Jessica Walter. LATC trustee William Devine represented AT&T;, which underwrote the dinner.

Honored were Lod Cook, CEO of Arco, and Jim Wood, chairman of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA and LATC have a complex relationship, which Wood described as his organization being the theater group’s “rich uncle.”

“I’m concerned that the theater has to acquire other patrons.” Wood said. “They’re doing that, but they need to do it more. Tonight is an example of precisely what has to happen.”

Some of it did happen. The evening netted $125,000.

Wood also said of the center, “It’s doing what we want it to do for people downtown at night.”

Interestingly, the LATC’s other rich relations, the Los Angeles City Council, who were all listed as members of the dinner committee, were represented by only two council members, both from the San Fernando Valley--Joy Picus and Hal Bernson. It was explained that this was because the council is in recess and the members might be traveling.

Mayor Bradley, who was honorary chairman, was in Germany.

What they missed, besides a live auction and dinner of beef and lamb chops, was a musical performance from the upcoming productions “Blues in the Night” and “The Joni Mitchell Project.”