COSTA MESA : Renovations Coming Soon to OCC Theater

A nine-month renovation of the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College is scheduled to begin this month.

As part of the renovation, the theater will be equipped with an air-conditioning system, which will allow the venue to host summer shows, said Doug Bennett, director of the Orange Coast College Foundation.

Bennett said that the college’s summer musical production has not been held in the Moore Theatre since 1985 because of the lack of air-conditioning.

“We hardly ever use the theater in the summer now,” Bennett said. “We used to use it for a summer musical and all the guests would fan themselves.”

The renovation will also include decreasing the theater’s seating capacity from 1,200 to 960 so that engineers may narrow the auditorium to improve its acoustics, Bennett said. Moreover, lighting and electrical systems will be upgraded as part of the make-over and steps will be taken to improve access for disabled people.

Bennett said college officials hope that the renovation will ultimately increase revenues from the 37-year-old theater.

The Coast Community College District Board of Trustees awarded the renovation contract to Fischbeck Construction Inc. at its July 22 meeting. The Santa Ana-based contractor was the low bidder for the project, estimating the renovation work at $1,036,200.