Tucked away among three auto repair shops, the Granada Theatre has been producing community theater for 21 years, launching actors' careers and providing entertainment to hundreds of San Fernando Valley residents.
At the request of subscribers, the theater's season will be expanded from four to five productions next year, said Jo Erickson, the theater's founder and executive director. The theater's $300,000 annual budget is derived from subscriptions, donations and fund-raisers.
Through the years, the theater--which offers mostly dinner theater productions--has attracted many actors who want to work on their skills, Erickson said.
"When they come to a small theater, they get to play leads," she said.
Bryan Cranston, who plays the father in the Fox comedy series "Malcolm in the Middle," said the Granada Theatre helped him learn more about the craft of acting when he performed there as a 24-year-old in 1980. He played a young warlock in "Bell, Book and Candle" and the lead in "Barefoot in the Park."
Cranston, who grew up in Canoga Park, said he looked at his theater experiences as a gym, allowing him to work out and become familiar with the process of acting.
"I was grateful to the theater for providing a space for me to work," he said.
Erickson said open auditions draw a healthy response from local actors.
"Community theater is hopefully a mix of talents who are both professional and amateur, especially in Los Angeles," Cranston said. "Outside of Los Angeles, you could have a theater that is all amateur. It is all about the experience."
Cheryl Mercy, one of the lead actors in the current production of "Noises Off," said her day job as an executive legal administrator for St. Jude Medical in Sylmar pays the bills and the theater feeds her soul. She has performed at the theater since 1990 and, when not performing, works at the dinner theater as a resident costume designer, serving on the board of directors and also serving drinks to patrons.
Her enthusiasm for the theater has also spread to her husband, who acts occasionally, works as a stage manager and also serves drinks.
Julia Rogers, a reporter for KVEN (1450 AM) radio in Ventura, performed in "Solid Gold Cadillac" in 1995 and "Lend Me a Tenor" in 1998, doing five shows a week.
"I enjoyed the experience," Rogers said, "but it's community theater, which is a lot of hard work for no money."
