The Theatre Festival in Fullerton, California has a long and storied history that dates back to 1981. It began with 180 students from a few high schools and 18 judges, and has since grown to include more than 20,000 students from 150 different high schools. The festival is held at StageTheatre, a renowned arts center in Orange County that was founded in 1992 by Brian Kojac. The theater underwent a major renovation in the mid-1950s, which included the installation of a frame in front of the proscenium for the Cinemascope screen and patios and curtain patios. After the renovation, the modernized Fox Fullerton Theater opened its doors on May 19, 1955. The Department of Theater Arts at Fullerton College also announced additional new categories for the festival in the ensemble and monologue sections, as well as an acting category for film to better include the media used as theater continues to progress.
Meyer (26% Holler) left an indelible mark on the era of the “Palace of Cinema” by designing Grauman's Egyptian Theater in Hollywood (192), the Fox Fullerton Theater (192) and Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood (192). The design of Fullerton's outer staircase was inspired by the same steps in Egypt, and at the top of those steps is a Greek-inspired theatrical mask and a large urn. StageTheatre has staged hundreds of productions over the years, including American classics, comedies, dramas, Shakespeare plays, absurd, avant-garde and original plays. It is the oldest storefront theater in Orange County and continues to draw on the talent of many students (and alumni), university professors, and arts administrators from Orange County's three high schools, community colleges, and universities.
