The Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside is undergoing a massive renovation project.
This is Phase 1 of a $2.2 million facelift, and it'll connect the theater lobby with its studio, which are currently separated by a wall.
The renovation will also expand the lobby to add a new concession stand and six new bathrooms, which the theater has needed for a while.
“We have two right now. And those intermissions, hoo boy, those are very long," Kevin "Blax" Burroughs said. "But now we have the comfort for our patrons to have six unisex bathrooms, two ADA bathrooms as well."
Burroughs is the producing artistic director for the Oceanside Theatre Company, which has been leasing the theater from Oceanside since 2011. In 2021, the city approved the lease for the company to operate the theater for the next 20 years.
Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of March for $885,000, with the city contributing $500,000 toward the renovation.
Burroughs said connecting the lobby and the studio will make it easier for VIP events and the company's youth programs, especially since the children don't have to exit the studio to access the theater.
"They (will) now have direct access to the theater versus going outside and around with a chaperon," he said. "That's a little safer. We love that about the whole process."
Getting here has been a long process, Burroughs said. Planning for the renovation started 10 years ago, and the project was shovel-ready since last year.
"But I think it's time that the community, that is constantly growing, gets a space that is truly theirs — it grows with them,” he said.
The venue opened in 1936 as the Rancho Santa Margarita Theatre, which was quickly shortened to Margo to save marquee space. It was remodeled into a movie theater in the 1950s and renamed the Towne Theater.
In 1993, the city acquired the theater from Hattie Hazel "Sunshine" Brooks, after whom the venue is currently named.
Phase 2 will start at a later date, once funding is secured. It'll include updating the performance space, as well as the lights, sounds and HVAC systems.
Despite the construction, the company is in the midst of rehearsals for its world-premiere musical, "Dead Moose." The show opens Jan. 24 with a preview night Jan. 23.
A temporary wall will be erected in the lobby to shield patrons from the construction area.
