COSTA MESA : Permit Is Awarded to Theater Group

A theater group will soon be putting on productions at The Lab, a artsy retail center on Bristol Street.

The Planning Commission last week granted a conditional-use permit to The Theatre District, which has been in existence for two years. And if goes well, the ensemble will perform its first play, “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” by April.

Bonnie Vise, the producer of the acting company, said she is thrilled that the commission approved the group’s request to move into a 1,300-square-foot building at the back of The Lab.

“I went home and I couldn’t sleep I was so excited,” she said. “It’s a wonderful location for us, and the commission greeted us with open arms.”

The group needed a conditional-use permit because The Lab is zoned for retail and because residents live within 200 feet of it, Vise said. If neighbors complain about noise, the commission can revoke the permit. In a year, the group will go before commissioners for review.