A woman with a beautiful smile spoke as she passed. (I wonder if she's in the show.) "I think the Friendship Center's open," she said. I told her I had a meeting in a few minutes and thanked her for telling me what I was looking at.
I found a bit of info online. The Georgia McClay Friendship Center is a room next to the box office, adjacent to the patio. It's available for rent (lending itself to business events, workshops or parties, says the website).
Who is Georgia McClay? Somebody generous, most likely. If not that, at least she has good taste.
22 comments:
Cozy. I like what they did with the masks.
I'd like to cozy up to that Batchelder fireplace that shows up on the link.
What a fun find!!!
"The Georgia McClay Friendship Center is a room next to the box office, adjacent to the patio."
Thanks, PB. Haha!!! ;)
Someone did a nice job of decorating this room. And yes about the fireplace at the link, that looks like a nice room for reading a book and drinking a brandy.
I had no idea this was there. Another great find for PDP!
I was just on a tour of the Playhouse on Thursday and this is a wonderful room. You can view it by taking a tour of the Playhouse. Anyone can take a tour. You will see the set making area, dressing rooms, green rooms and other craft areas. Lot's of fun. You just have to call.
A very cool find. Those dresses are amazing.
Lovely place, lovely warm light. I enjoy the dresses but glad I don't have to wear them in "real life." Otherwise, I'd need the constant ministrations of a personal assistant wheeling a fainting couch along behind me, ready to catch my bum at any instant.
Georgia McClay was a wonderful, generous person who was a member of the Friends of the Pasadena Playhouse, a support group of approximately 350 people who donate over 25,000 hours a year in various activities. She ushered, worked in the archives, brought food to feed the actors between shows, etc. When she died she left one millian dollars to the Friends to start an endowment fund for the Playhouse. That's who Georgia McClay was!
The Friends always welcome new members. Why not join?
This photo has a sense of anticipation...waiting for their turn on the stage.
A tour sounds wonderful, Anonymous. A great way to make new friends for the theater.
And other Anonymous, thanks for telling us a little bit about Georgia. She sounds like someone very special. Theaters do not thrive without dedicated volunteers.
As for the dresses, I love them! I think I could manage to wear them without fainting.
Is the Friendship Center the same room where they have memorabilia, or at least posters, of famous actors who studied at the Playhouse back when it was the place to study acting in LA?
My kind of place. It is even more special when you have to shoot through a window after hours! :)
V
I don't know, Mister Earl. We may have to take the tour to find out.
Let's take the tour when you visit, V. The Playhouse is one of our venerable institutions.
Georgia Mc Clay was a dear friend of The Andrews Sisters. She loved live theatre, and was very involved in The Pasedena Playhouse.
She died very young of cancer, and left over one million dollars to the Playhouse.
Hi Anonymous. Thanks for the additional information about Ms. McClay, it's most welcome.
Georgia LOVED the theater, vintage cinema and vintage music, not to mention dogs. And the Andrews Sisters!She loved to walk all around Pasadena and she had the stride of a teenage girl. A very dry sense of humor and she loved to cook. Near every weekend, she would be at the Playhouse with some tasty dish she had made to help feed the actors. She died in May of 2001 after a short illness. She was taken far too soon at age 58, if I recall correctly. One of her last comments about the Playhouse was "Keep it going". Great gal who I miss all the time.
Thanks for your comment, Royce! She sounds like a special person. It's good that you still miss her--it means she made her mark.
Hi Petrea~
It would be nice if the Playhouse had a little handout of marker telling just a bit about Georgia.
She also tap danced and played the piano. She hated to drive and so she walked everywhere locally.
She was human and had her foibles like we all do. I remember one time that I foolishly said that the potato salad she had made this year was not quite as good as the one she made last year! Boom! I never got any potato salad again from her! LOL!! But she was a loyal and caring friend for more than 20 years.
It is around this date, today, that she passed away in 2001. I can't believe that it is 12 years already! She would have been 70 y/o. Oh, well....
She sure loved the Pasadena Playhouse.
Regards,
Royce
You're making me want to walk around there with my camera again, and see what I find. It's such a beautiful place.
As long as Georgia's generosity and her commitment to the Playhouse are remembered, it is good.
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