Bakersfield Community Theatre

As California's oldest continuously producing theater Bakersfield Community Theatre has it going on!I'll admit, this past weekend was my first opportunity to visit the theater and the watch a production. It happened to be The Vagina Monologues and everything about it was amazing. The production cost was obviously very small, but the cast performance and overall passion was immense. I don't want to be overly critical of the theater itself since it is community theater. But just so you know, the theater is located in a bit sketchy area. Parking is located in the rear of the theater off of O street. They did provide parking security that evening which was an added bonus, but the lot itself was small and very tight. I could easily see them overflowing into the streets on busy nights. While there weren't any issues, I was secretly glad we brought the bf's car and not mine. The theater appears to be an old church. With the box office occupying what appears to be an adjacent office building, and the theater itself in a separate building which may have been the parish. It's dated, and the acoustics aren't fantastic, but the community theater makes the most of it. The first three rows of seats were broken. The concrete below the attached areas appeared to be cracked and broken creating a very wobbly and potentially hazardous seating area. This put a damper to how many guests they could accommodate inside. I imagine they could have seated several more people had the seats been available.The production was definitely worth the $20 admittance fee. Over two hours of highly entertaining performance kept us laughing and crying. We walked away thoroughly entertained and educated. I was worried my boyfriend would be uncomfortable at the material, but no. If anything, men SHOULD see The Vagina Monologues. It offers a variety of perspectives and really gives men some insight into women's struggles. I would say a good quarter of the audience was men.I encourage anyone to support the Bakersfield Community Theatre. Or any Community Theatre in your area. There's something fulfilling and powerful about supporting local arts. I can't explain it. You'll just have to see for yourself!If anything, let's have more people attend so we can help get those chairs fixed!

Other theaters may come and go, but Bakersfield Community Theatre has stood the test of time. We have been attending shows at BCT since the 1990's. Involvement with BCT is clearly a joy for the actors, producers, and directors. I'll see people working concessions that I remember from stage productions from 20 years ago. The annual One Act Festival, or "Short Attention Span Theatre," is always a great introduction to the concept of live drama. BCT also gives back to the community with their free youth drama productions. Don't mind the unfashionable location or scuffed floors. Once the light dim, the magic of live theater is always ignited at this venue.

This theater has been around longer than any other in Bakersfield. So many people have worked here, or come to see a show that it really is a part of the community. I've seen some really great theatre there and would recommend to ANYBODY. Bakersfield isn't always shown in the best light, this is one of the places that shine.