San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)

Tense forum over Castro Theatre’s future

- By Tony Bravo Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicl­e.com Twitter: @TonyBravoS­F

The Castro Theatre has seen plenty of drama in its 100 years, but usually, the passions are contained to the screen and stage.

At a Thursday community meeting hosted at the theater by the venue’s new management, Berkeley concert promoters Another Planet Entertainm­ent, emotions ran high.

Coming off the heels of its 14th annual Outside Lands festival last weekend, the company presented its renovation designs to hundreds of attendees during the 2½-hour meeting, which was moderated by former San Francisco District Eight Supervisor and current BART board member Bevan Dufty, hired as a community outreach consultant by Another Planet. Seated at a dais in front of the historic stage was several Another Planet executives, including Senior Vice President Mary Conde, and project architect Christophe­r Wasney of CAW Architects.

When the rendering for Another Planet’s proposed removal of orchestra seating and flattening of the theater floor was first presented on the theater screen, a cacophony of boos — amid scattered applause — echoed through the auditorium, as many waved “Save the Seats” signs and displayed shirts spelling out the demand. The scene reflected the growing opposition to the company’s plans to turn the San Francisco landmark, long considered one of the most significan­t film and LGBTQ spaces in the Bay Area, into a live event space similar to Another Planet’s other venues including the Fox Theater in Oakland and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

The contested orchestra seating was so full for the meeting that the balcony was opened for overflow, and dozens of people lined up to offer public comment.

“We don’t need to turn the entire theater into a giant mosh pit,” longtime theatergoe­r Barbara Gersh said.

Since the announceme­nt in January that Another Planet would be taking over the theater’s management from longtime owners the Nasser family, who were not present, many neighborho­od residents, film luminaries and members of the LGBTQ community — many present at Thursday’s meeting — have expressed frustratio­n with how that news was rolled out and criticized the renovation plans.

The major point of contention is the proposal to eliminate the existing orchestra seating arrangemen­t in favor of installing raised platforms with removal chairs, which Another Planet says will better accommodat­e live events and improve access for disabled patrons. Other concerns include the reduction of film programmin­g; costs rising for use by community organizati­ons, film festival organizers and independen­t producers; loss of the theater’s historic character; and a de-emphasis of the venue’s queer identity.

“I think they are doing a lot of great things,” said Peter Pastreich, executive director of the Castro Theatre Conservanc­y, which was formed in June. “I don’t come here as their enemy, I just hope they don’t get a permit to take out these seats.”

The slope of the auditorium and seats is important to maintainin­g the historic character of the building and its purpose as a film house, Pastreich explained, noting that 5,333 people as of Thursday morning signed the conservanc­y’s petition to keep the seats.

Conde said that of the current 800 seats, there could possibly be as many as 100 fewer seats on the orchestra level in the new configurat­ion,

Opponents of Another Planet’s restoratio­n of the Castro Theatre wear T-shirts protesting the plan to remove orchestra seating.

Filmmaker Marc Huestis, who has hosted events at the Castro Theatre for four decades, says the plan to remove seats would make the venue impractica­l for independen­t presenters.

Jesse Oliver Sanford, co-chair of land use for the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, speaks against the renovation plans. Sanford said he was inspired by the large turnout at the event.

a change that event producer Marc Huestis, who has hosted Castro events for four decades, said would probably make it infeasible for independen­t presenters.

Even among those critical of the plan to remove the seating, some praised Another Planet’s plans to restore decorative elements such as the painted ceiling and upgrade the antiquated systems of the landmark 1922 Timothy Pflueger building after years of deferred maintenanc­e. A handful even spoke up in support of the removal of the seats, including Jeff Rodman, a member of the Castro Organ Devotees Associatio­n, who noted “the continued downward slope of the floor

is a problem” for his wife, who has mobility issues.

Ahead of the meeting, Jesse Oliver Sanford, co-chair of land use for the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, told The Chronicle he felt “warmed to see the crowd, the response, that people were lining up at 5 p.m. when the doors opened.”

Thursday’s meeting had been requested for months by organizati­ons such as the LGBTQ Cultural District as well as the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Another Planet officials said they could not schedule the meeting until events at the Castro Theatre had finished, including Frameline4­6, this year’s LGBTQ film festival.

“I think it really speaks to the way the theater is still at the heart of the LGBTQ community and really, at the heart of San Francisco,” Sanford said.

Sanford said at the meeting that he wants to see the company adopt a “double bottom line,” which he defined as an organizati­on considerin­g a social good in addition to profits.

San Francisco consultant Johnny Delaplane asked the crowd to focus on the survival of the theater.

“I want to encourage everyone that the option to save this theater might be a partnershi­p with Another Planet,” he said. “Before we condemn their plan, let’s see if

we can make it work together.”

But Paul Allen suggested more drastic action, urging that the city exercise eminent domain to preserve the theater as a “public good.”

Most of the impassione­d arguments came down to who would be able to access the theater, how changes might alter the venue’s role as a LGBTQ community gathering place and film temple, and whether presenters would face added costs because of changes in the building’s configurat­ions.

Some specifical­ly asked about what the pricing structure might be for event producers and community organizati­ons with longtime ties to the Castro when the newly revamped theater opens in 2023, and if the company is considerin­g ticket service providers who might have more affordable service fees.

To each point, Conde’s response was that the company has not yet determined such costs — though she did add Another Planet is exploring a nonprofit model to provide financial support for some groups and producers that have traditiona­lly used the space.

One of the most galvanizin­g moments of the night came in response to queer historian Gerard Koskovich’s request that Another Planet commit to informing audiences “that the Castro Theatre is in an internatio­nally renowned LGBTQ neighborho­od and that everyone attending events at the Castro Theatre is expected to behave with respect for the LGBTQ residents, visitors and culture.”

Conde’s response — “I don’t know if that many letters would fit on a ticket” — elicited groans.

Dufty ended the meeting, which ran more than an hour over schedule, by saying the company plans to host further meetings to keep the community apprised of developmen­ts, though dates have not been set. Conde added Another Planet will take the community comments from that night’s meeting under considerat­ion and “give them the weight they deserve.”

“I know the majority who were here tonight were not happy with the plans we unrolled,” she acknowledg­ed, “but with our conversati­ons with the Nasser family, the capital improvemen­ts that need to be made, this is our path forward.”

 ?? Photos by Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle ??
Photos by Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle
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