AT THIS STAGE, COLONY REAPING AWARDS.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

BURBANK - Though the Los Angeles premiere of the off-Broadway success ``Fuddy Meers'' isn't set to open until next month, the Colony Theatre Company already is hearing the sweet sound of applause.

Just this past week, the small company, which has wowed audiences for decades, has been honored with six Los Angeles Ovation Awards, the local version of the Tonys; several Garland Awards; and a proclamation from the city of Burbank for its contribution to the local arts.

And if that isn't enough, the 2003 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica lists the Colony as one of the 25 most notable theater companies in the nation.

The accolades astound Colony artistic director Barbara Beckley, who co-founded the theater company in 1975 in an industrial area of Silver Lake.

The company moved to Burbank two years ago, to 555 N. Third St., into a building that a once housed a satellite of the Los Angeles County Natural History Museum.

``We were just tremendously fortunate this year,'' Beckley said. ``We were able to attract some amazing talent.''

As one of about a dozen live theater companies in Burbank, the Colony Theatre has seen its subscription audiences rise.

Even with its proximity to numerous movie complexes and live theaters that vie for audience attention, the Colony has thrived and serves as an example that the curtain is rising for live theater in Los Angeles.

``Los Angeles has never been thought of as a theater town, but L.A. has more productions produced than any other U.S. city,'' said David Elzer, president of Demand PR, a public relations marketing firm for Los Angeles theater.

``Up until the last seven years, live theater in Los Angeles was 'showcasey,''' Elzer said. ``But now, we have real companies that are committed to doing amazing theater.''

The discovery of good, small productions has spread by word of mouth, Elzer said, and smaller playhouses across the Valley, such as North Hollywood's The Road, are reaping the benefits.

``There are more people doing more serious work now,'' Elzer said. ``There are real groups of people forming companies that use A-plus sets.''

At a time when consumer spending is down, live theater, like the movies, is surprisingly thriving, theater insiders say.

The two forms of entertainment go hand in hand.

The movie industry reported a box office record of $9.4 billion last year. While figures for theater openings are no longer compiled, it's been observed that in times of turbulence, people find ways to escape in fictional worlds, often at the movies and at playhouses.

``I recall in the Depression, people went to the movies and theaters,'' Beckley said. ``It's almost as if during hard times, people want to find reasons to go on, to look for hope and enlightenment.''

Lee Melville, a writer for LA Stage magazine and theater reviewer for more than 20 years, agreed.

In the next edition of LA Stage, Melville profiles theaters in Glendale, Pasadena and Burbank. Burbank has more theaters than both cities combined, Melville found.

``Right now, this is a good time for theater,'' said Melville, whose magazine is produced by the Los Angeles Theater League Alliance, a nonprofit association of theaters and theatrical producers that unites and promotes the theater community.

``There's a good few productions coming up,'' Melville said.

``Though there is a lot of good theater in Burbank - such as the Victory and the Falcon - the Colony, I think, is rather exceptional in what it presents. I've seen every show since they moved to Burbank. Every production I've seen is high quality.''

This season, the Colony earned awards for ``The Laramie Project'' and ``You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.'' The season will end with the April presentation of Donna McKechnie's one-woman production of ``Inside the Music.''

Last week, set designers made preparations for the Feb. 8 premiere of ``Fuddy Meers,'' written by David Lindsay-Abair.

The play, a comedy for mature audiences, follows the life of Claire, a woman who wakes up with amnesia.

The set design includes three different locations: a bedroom, a kitchen and a basement.

``The world of this play is a little whacked,'' Beckley said. ``We are seeing this world through the eyes of this woman who, for every new day, is a blank slate.''

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Photo:

Barbara Beckley, artistic director of the Colony Theatre Company, studies the under-construction set of the upcoming production ``Fuddy Meers.''

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer