Los californios® Web Site Padua Hills Theatre — The Mexican Players Home Page Theatre Image #1 — Historical photograph by Irene Welch Garner Alfaro Family Collection Members of The Mexican Players — about 1950 In Summer the cast presented an after-theatre fiesta, called Jamaica, outside in this quiosco. This appears to be the cast used for the performance of Festivales, as performed October 18 to November 25, 1950: Gregorio Valadez, Catalino Alba, Francisco Velázquez, Hilda Ramírez de Jara, José O’Beso, Micaela Velázquez, Conchita (Concepción) Gallardo, Enrique Lerma, José Alba, Porfiria Lerma, Vida Amador, Mauricio Jara, Alfonso Chávez loscalifornios.org — Site Map Home Page for Padua Hills Theatre: The Mexican Players      The Historic Physical Setting      The People — Los paduanos      The Musicians — Los músicos      The Dancers — Los bailadores      Padua Hills Plays      “Las Posadas”      “California Romance”      Behind the Scenes      The Vera Family Account      The Physical Setting Today      Other Padua Hills Resources      Related Padua Hills Links This web site will attempt to tell the unique story of The Mexican Players at Padua Hills Theatre as a photo essay using pictures, programs, flyers and first-hand reminiscences of the Players and their families. It is a work continually in progress, which relies upon participation from visitors. If you have material (or usable scans of that material) that you would like to contribute to the effort, please communicate with us at info@loscalifornios.com. We especially need help identifying the names of Players shown in the photographs, and we hope to add family histories of their experience at Padua. Thanks to those who have already helped us: the Vera Family, Isabelle Green, the Alfaro Family, Linda Hayes, and Nancy and Brian Hogan from the Fages family. The Historic Physical Setting Theatre Image #2 — Historical photograph by Irene Welch Garner Alfaro Family Collection Padua Hills In the 1920s a group of involved citizens from Claremont, California banded together to purchase a large tract of land in the beautiful foothills just outside town, land from the former Rancho San José that was threatened with insensitive development. They went to work to develop the area themselves in ways that would benefit their artistically conscious community, calling their project area Padua Hills. Los Californios® Collection Promotional Flyer Click on thumbnail images above to see larger versions of this promotional flyer for the Padua Hills development. Theatre Image #3 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre Incorporated as Padua Hills, Inc. under the direction of Herman Garner, the group subdivided the more than 2000 acres of land into residences for an artist community. Theatre Image #4 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre As they formulated their plans for the area, they incorporated the idea of an arts center as a central focus for the development — a center with a dining room, arts studios and shops as well as a small theater. Theatre Image #5 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre In 1930 this vision came to fruition with the construction of the Padua Hills Theatre, an elegant Spanish Mission Revival style building designed by the Pasadena architect firm of Marston and Mayberry that included a dining room and restaurant quality kitchen, to be the home of the Claremont Community Players. Theatre Image #6 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre Entrance Way The columned entrance to the theatre and dining room created an inviting environment for cultural gatherings, and eventually became a well-recognized image symbolizing what soon became an experiment that was radical for its time and unexpectedly successful. Theatre Images #7 & #8 — Photographs attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcards of Little Theatre at Padua Hills Serene and elegant patios with artistic landscaping complemented the building. Theatre Image #9 — Photograph attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Another Historic Postcard of Little Theatre at Padua Hills The Little Theater movement¹ was still strong when plans for the Padua Hills development began. The Claremont community, which still includes substantive participation from the university culture, was enthusiastic in its support of the project. Theatre Image #10 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of a studio in the Padua Hills Theatre Complex Theatre Image #11 Los Californios® Collection Back of postcard shown in Image #10 This postcard, mailed March 17, 1946, says: “This is where Nom Manker makes his pottery. An art colony in the heart of these fabulous hills. It’s my idea of next door to heaven. When their inn is built you must come here for your honeymoon. Greetings to all.” Theatre Images #12 & 13 — Historical photographs by Irene Welch Garner Alfaro Family Collection Martha Longnecker with potter at Padua Hills & another potter The work of Padua Hills artists is still sought after. Please help us identify these artists. Theatre Image #14 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of an inside fireplace — Mailed in 1938 Theatre Image #15 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los Californios® Collection Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Dining Room Los Californios® Collection Folding Advertising Card for Padua Hills Theatre and Dining Room Theatre Image #16 — Los Californios® Collection Padua Hills Dining Room Lunch Menu Theatre Images #17 & #18 — Los Californios® Collection But the economic pressures of the Great Depression were about to fundamentally change the mission of the Padua Hills Theatre. Click below for the next part of the story. The People — Los paduanos The Physical Setting Today Theatre Image #69 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Entryway to Padua Hills Theatre and Dining Room — February 2004 In 1998 the Padua Hills Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the California Register. In October of 2003, devastating wild fires swept through much of southern California. At the height of the fires, firefighters were dispatched to protect the homes in Padua Hills. Theatre Image #70 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Padua Hills from the Theatre Parking Lot — February 2004 When firefighters arrived, they found many of the homes already in flames. Theatre Image #71 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Padua Homes as seen from the Theatre Parking Lot — February 2004 The historic Little Theatre was directly in the path of the oncoming flames, and the firefighters took a stand to protect this treasured historical site. Even so, the fire came close. Theatre Image #72 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Padua Hills Theatre Clotheslines — February 2004 Very close! Theatre Images #73 & #74 — Photos by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Back of Padua Hills Theatre — February 2004 In fact, it’s astonishing that the Little Theatre is still standing. But because of the efforts of those determined firefighters, there are still some homes and the Theatre in Padua Hills. While it sustained substantive damage in the fire, relatively little of the building was affected. Theatre Image #75 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Damaged Roof Tiles on Back of Padua Hills Theatre February 2004 The historic sculpture by Albert Stewart still graces the courtyard, and the olive trees still shade the patios. Theatre Image #76 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection “Indian Woman” — Terra-cota sculpture made by Albert Stewart in 1946. This photograph taken in February 2004. Theatre Image #77 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Outside Wall of Padua Hills Dining Room — February 2004 Photo by Vykki Mende Gray Los Californios® Collection Padua Hills Dining Room — February 2004 Other Resources About Padua Hills Theatre and The Mexican Players Pauline B. Deuel, Mexican Serenade: The Story of the Mexican Players, 1961, Padua Institute. Matt García, A World of Its Own: Race, Labor, and Citrus in the Making of Greater Los Angeles, 1900 - 1970, 2001, The University of North Carolina Press. Pay particular attention to chapter 4, “Just Put on That Padua Hills Smile: The Mexican Players and the Padua Hills Theatre, 1931-1974”, pages 121 - 154. Matt García, “Adjusting the Focus: Padua Hills Theatre and Latino History,” Organization of American Historians: Magazine of History 10 (Winter 1996). Matt García, “Just Put on That Padua Hills Smile: The Mexican Players and the Padua Hills Theatre, 1931-1974.” California History 74, No. 3 (Fall 1995), pages 244 - 261. Bess Garner, Notes in the Margin, Houghton Mifflin, 1937. In her comments on her travels to Mexico, Bess Garner frequently relates events and her observations to her work with the Theatre. 1 Matt García, A World of Its Own: Race, Labor, and Citrus in the Making of Greater Los Angeles, 1900 - 1970, 2001 provides background for the Little Theater movement as it applies to the Padua Hills Theatre. If your family has recollections of Padua Hills Theatre that you would like to share on this web site, please contact Los californios® at info@loscalifornios.com. Related Links loscalifornios.com — Site Map Home Page for Los californios®       Upcoming events The Museum Gift Shop       Recordings:           Flowers of Our Lost Romance       Sheet Music Transcriptions             Music of Early California:             NEW in 2007: Volume 9             Music of Early California:             Volumes 1 — 9 bound together             El ciego Melquíades:             A tejano fiddler of yesterday       Folk Arts Books & Wares Order Form loscalifornios.info — Site Map Spanish-Language Social Music of 19th-Century Southern California      Charles Lummis’ Spanish      Language Music Recordings      Historic Casa de Adobe      Fiesta Programs and Photographs      Historic Resources for      Spanish-Language Social Music      of 19th-Century Southern California    Adjusting the Focus: Padua Hills Theatre and Latino History,       By Matt García “Reveals an interesting and overlooked chapter in Hispanic cultural history. The Claremont, California, Padua Hills Theatre presented Spanish-language, Mexican-theme musicals to a mostly white audience from 1931 to 1974. Although it presented romantic, and occasionally stereotypical views of Mexican American life, the theater deserves recognition. (MJP)”    The Commedia Dell'arte in a Mexican Folk Theatre       By Pauline B. Deuel       Hispania, Vol. 47, No. 3 (Sep., 1964), pp. 537-539    The Padua Hills Theater: Bringing a piece of history back to life    Padua Hills Theatre — National Register of Historic Places    Chanterelles Fine Catering at The Padua Hills Theatre © Vykki Mende Gray, 2007 All rights reserved. Los californios® is a registered trademark belonging to San Diego Friends of Old-Time Music, Inc., a California non-profit corporation.