Go Backstage at The Granada Theatre
Photo Credit: Baron Spafford
Love Your Theater is an annual event The Granada Theatre hosts for donors to give them a peek behind the curtain. When a Santa Barbara High School teacher learned of the event, she approached The Granada about offering a similar experience for local theater students.
Drew Davis, Development Services Manager at The Granada, worked closely with Daniel Herrera, the new Production Manager, to bring this vision to life.
“Daniel and I thought it was a great idea, so we quickly worked with our production and development teams to bring a behind-the-scenes tour to life,” said Drew Davis, Development Services Manager at The Granada.
The Granada team secured two grants to fund the program, and this April, 35 students from Santa Barbara High School came to the inaugural backstage tour.
“The Granada is always looking for ways to give back to the community and introduce a younger audience to the historic theater, and this was a perfect way to do that,” said Herrera.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour
The four-hour experience started with the group watching the documentary The Granada created for its Centennial anniversary last year.
“Watching the film inspired a lot of questions throughout the tour,” said Herrera. “The group was highly engaged and asked great questions about how our staff members got into their careers, and about what steps they would need to follow a similar path.”
The Granada set up stations where the teens could explore different aspects of the theater, including lighting, audio, rigging, and wardrobe. Department heads staffed each station to answer questions and provide the group with hands-on experiences. This allowed the students to understand how each component is necessary to deliver a spectacular performance.
“We wanted the kids to see that the theater is more than just acting,” said Herrera. “There are a lot of different career paths to go, and I don’t think you truly understand that until you see it.”
During the tour, the teens also had a chance to safely ascend 30 feet on the rails to get a bird’s-eye view of the stage before heading to the basement to see the actors’ warm-up rooms, green room, dressing rooms, and wardrobe room.
“You can lecture about theater all day long, but actually seeing it in action and talking to the people who work here opens up questions kids didn’t even know they had,” said Herrera. “It’s great to see someone light up when they realize a theater career is a possibility.”
According to Davis, the experience was also enlightening for the Granada department heads, who saw their positions through fresh eyes, renewing their excitement for the work they do every day.
History of Giving Back
Photo Credit: Baron Spafford
Since The Granada opened its doors in 1924, it has played an active role in the Santa Barbara community. In addition to new programs like the backstage tours, it also has a special ticket scheme, allowing more residents to enjoy the magic of the theater.
Today, the Community Access Ticketing (CAT) program provides dramatically reduced-priced performance tickets. Working with over two dozen community organizations, The Granada distributes over 700 tickets annually.
“This was a one-time event tailored for Santa Barbara High School, but we are definitely open to exploring educational tours for all interested age groups in the future,” said Drew.
Thanks to grants and generous sponsors, The Granada can continue its goal of enriching the community through the arts.
For more information on backstage tours for schools, contact The Granada Development Department at development@granadasb.org.