Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts

1428 Alice Street,
Oakland, CA 94612

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rockyroadz
rockyroadz on November 17, 2020 at 6:35 am

The Women’s City Club (aka City Club Theatre and later Paris Theatre) at 1428 Alice Street.

See photo here: https://books.google.com/books/content?id=bYI_eT_EVOEC&pg=PA38&img=1&zoom=3&hl=en&sig=ACfU3U0k6peuQeRStQKkakaqfHoMvSKatQ&w=1280

stuberman
stuberman on February 18, 2007 at 2:30 am

I used to be a lighting designer for the Oakland Metropolitan Ballet Theater Company in the late 1970’s which performed at this theater. At the time it was also a venue for showing films from India. It had a fairly large seating capacity of around 500 seats.
The stage had an old resistance type lighting dimmer system as well as a full ‘fly gallery’ that used sand bag counter weights.

Vern Nerden was the Artistic Director of the company and created some of the finest original ballets I have ever seen.

Details of the building can also be found from a City of Oakland Planning Comission report here: View link

Notable details:
Built in 1927-28 by the Women’s City Club of Oakland and the East Bay
Designed by the firm of (Chester) Miller & (Carl I.) Warnecke
In 1948 it became a Moose Lodge and then a residential hotel.
In the 1970’s I knew this facility as the Metropolitan Theater. I remember that we stored costumes, props and sets in rooms in the building.
The projection booth was unusually large.
The lobby was also large but without a formal box office or way to strictly manage paying audience attendees.

gsmurph
gsmurph on May 29, 2005 at 2:13 am

This theater’s (and building’s) style is Renaissance Revival.

gsmurph
gsmurph on December 23, 2004 at 2:49 pm

In 2004, the center changed its name to the Malonga Casqueloard Center for the Arts in honor and memory of a recently-deceased benefactor of its activities. This should be called MALONGA CASQUELOARD CENTER FOR THE ARTS THEATER.

gsmurph
gsmurph on June 25, 2004 at 9:46 am

Correction—-I meant to say Malonga Casqueloard Center for the Arts.

gsmurph
gsmurph on June 23, 2004 at 8:57 am

The Alice Arts Center recently changed its name to the Malonga Casqueloard Center.