Management of LATC is ‘on hold’

Another turning point in the history of Los Angeles Theatre Center is approaching.

A plan to turn management of the five-theater municipal building over to developer Tom Gilmore collapsed in April, amid disputes between Gilmore and the Latino Theater Company -- one of the two companies that would have done most of the programming. The City Council then directed the municipal Cultural Affairs Department to resume managing the building -- but provided no extra money.

Since then, Cultural Affairs has staffed the building with one full-time employee and has restricted bookings. But the city’s fiscal year ended June 30.

A City Council committee meeting where the matter would have been discussed was scheduled for last Tuesday but canceled. “Everything is on hold until we get some definite directions,” says Leslie Thomas, Cultural Affairs’ assistant general manager.

The Latino Theater Company’s artistic director, Jose Luis Valenzuela, says his group would ideally like to buy the building. But no one knows how much it would cost or if the city would be willing to sell.