Theater Troupe Seeks Top Billing at Old Pacific Telephone Building

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — A representative of the South Orange County Community Theater asked the City Council last week to consider allowing use of a closed downtown building as a theater venue.

B.J. Scott, a co-founder of the theater troupe, asked the council about the possibility of converting the old Pacific Telephone building on El Camino Real into the theater’s home for a March performance. If the council approves, the theater group will also help staff the building as a visitors center, Scott proposed.

“The idea came to me in the middle of the night, as most of my good ideas do,” Scott said. “To use one of our historic buildings . . . as a box office for the theater and do double duty (as) a visitors center.”

Mayor Gil Jones called the building, which is now used to store city records, “more than adequate (for use as a theater) . . . I was surprised how big it was.”

The 3-year-old theater group has long searched for a permanent home in South County, with its preference to settle in San Juan Capistrano. Last October, the council turned down its request to occupy the Verdugo Street site of the old San Juan Saloon.

Scott said the troupe needs a facility that would seat about 100 people.

The Pacific Telephone building sits on a large downtown site being planned as part of the city’s Historic Town Center project, a large-scale remodeling of the area that includes a museum and a plaza.

While the council praised the concept, nothing was promised.

Councilman Kenneth E. Friess said Scott and her troupe can become “part of the Historic Town Center process. Maybe this is a good start,” he said.

Jones asked that the matter be put on the agenda for the council’s Jan. 21 meeting.