Madrid Theatre Plan Deserves Support

* With the numerous positive spins that could have been addressed to the proposed Madrid Theatre in Canoga Park, your staff writer appears to equivocate (“Plans for Valley Theater Linked to Area’s Revival,” Aug. 7).

Without clarifying their credentials as cost-effective managers, he invokes support of seasoned arts administrators who indicate that operational costs may exceed the budget. He also cites Los Angeles city estimates from an “unknown source” that indicate the Madrid Theatre’s operational cost may exceed the budget.

Even if annual overruns in operational costs are expected to be in the $100,000 order of magnitude, planners should either downscale operations, enlist additional community resources, or expect the City Council and mayor to increase the budget to a realistic target number from the get-go. This is essential in order to assure accountability for results.

Since Los Angeles city currently subsidizes arts by $286,750 (fiscal year 1995-96) in the Santa Clarita area, Glendale, and other surrounding cities that already have significant performing arts facilities, it would appear that a slight reallocation of funds could more than make up for any unanticipated cost overrun at the Madrid Theatre.

The West Valley needs a community cultural center in the form of the Madrid Theatre. We need a nuclear arts core to identify and reach out to serve artistic and cultural needs of youth, schools, and artistic community performers, audiences, and supporters. Performers and audiences need at least one theater in the Valley with high quality acoustics. For the first time in over 10 years, the entire arts organization constituency in the Valley is united behind this project, including the Cultural Center, Arts Council and Cultural Foundation.

We also need media support to lead in these first significant steps in community development.

JERRY DOMINE

Woodland Hills