A BOOM IN THE ARTS; SANTA CLARITA STAGE COMES OF AGE.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

Rapid growth in the arts community these days can be measured by the nails, two-by-fours, velvet curtains and stage plankings that are shaping numerous performance centers throughout Santa Clarita.

Venues under construction, renovation or design would bring more than 2,600 additional audience seats to the city, greatly increasing the availability of theatrical and musical performance space for an increasing number of arts groups, city and arts officials say.

``We have a strong economy now and the need for more arts often grows with the population . . . but we've also seen a steady movement in the arts community over the last 15 years,'' said Sean Morgan, the city's cultural arts coordinator. ``You see a lot of those groups maturing now and they want to take their organizations to the next level.''

The 29-year-old Canyon Theatre Guild is spending $550,000 to buy and renovate a 6,000-square-foot building in downtown Newhall into a 299-seat theater at the east corner of San Fernando Road and Sixth Street and turn an adjacent 2,200-square-foot building into a costume shop and office. The group plans to relocate by late spring.

Santa Clarita Repertory Theater, a 10-year-old nonprofit company, has planned a Jan. 22 opening for its newly renovated, 81-seat playhouse at Market Street and San Fernando Road. College of the Canyons currently is staging a holiday musical series there.

Despite the proximity of the two new facilities, Santa Clarita Repertory Theater's producing artistic director, David Stears, said the arts community doesn't see it as competition. Instead, organizers envision the creation of a much-needed arts district in Santa Clarita that would offer a wider range of live theater.

Stears' company aims to offer less of the Neil Simon variety and more like playwright David Hirson, whose ``Le Bete'' is scheduled to open Jan. 22.

``And there's still work to be done,'' Stears said. ``We now have dozens of smaller arts groups out there that are in desperate need for performance space. There's room for more in downtown Newhall.''

A younger nonprofit group, Theatre Arts for Children Foundation - which promotes education arts programs and provides venues for area theatrical groups - will restore the historic Newhall Elementary School Auditorium beginning this spring. The 500-seat auditorium is planned for public use, as well as education arts programs.

The initial phase - bringing the building up to code - is expected to cost $300,000.

But the most ambitious project, a 950-seat auditorium, is planned for College of the Canyons in Valencia.

The project - initially planned for 450 seats - was made possible through a joint partnership with the city, plus a substantial increase in state funds that totaled $11 million. The $16.6 million facility, scheduled to open in 2002, will be used jointly for COC programs and city-sponsored public performances.

Another significant restoration effort in the works includes the historic Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Auditorium on the William S. Hart High School campus, expected to reopen by early spring.

Although that 800-seat facility - which is undergoing repairs for damage from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake - will be used primarily for school events, it also will be available for some community programs, officials say.

The surge in education arts is another significant trend in the city's cultural arts boom, said Morgan. He sees it as a gradual reaction to movements in the 1980s to eliminate the arts from the education curriculum.

``People are now saying the arts just isn't about painting a picture or crafting something,'' he said. ``It builds creativity, teamwork, and teaches children about history and culture while thinking on a different level.''

And while Stears agrees that the widespread creation of new performance venues demonstrates the maturity of locally established arts groups, he also perceives it as a sign of the city's maturity.

``I think in the early years, the city had to address the issues it had no choice but to address, like roads and streetlights,'' he said. ``But now, it can focus on enriching the community.''

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Photo

PHOTO (color) David Stears, producing artistic director for Santa Clarita Repertory Theater, relaxes in the group's renovated playhouse in Newhall.

Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News