Padua Hills Theatre, Theatre in Claremont, United States.
Padua Hills Theatre is a Spanish Colonial Revival theater in Claremont, California, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It consists of three buildings arranged around a central courtyard: a stage building, a dining facility, and living quarters for performers and staff.
The theater was founded in 1930 and housed a resident company called The Mexican Players until 1974. During those decades it was one of the few nonprofit venues in the region dedicated to Mexican performing arts.
The Mexican Players performed traditional dances and music from different regions of Mexico, right after dinner, on the stage. Audiences sat at tables and watched the show as part of a shared evening out.
The property on Via Padova in Claremont now operates as a wedding venue under the name Padua Weddings. If you want to see the building up close, it is worth checking in advance whether an event is scheduled, as access may be limited on busy days.
The members of The Mexican Players lived on the grounds, cooked meals for the audience, and maintained the buildings, all as part of their commitment to the company. This meant the same people who performed on stage in the evening worked as cooks or groundskeepers during the day.
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