CLCT Founder

I have always said that Canyon Lake is a special place where people could create their own reality and carve out their own niche. Next to OZ - Canyon Lake is the most transforming place on earth, this side of the rainbow that is! So how and why did I decide to crave out a niche that has now, because of so many talented and willing volunteers, grown to be one of the lake's greatest treasures: The Canyon Lake Community Theatre" ? It might sound a little nuts...but theatre folks understand this kind of nuttiness. I felt inspired and compelled. Truly just that simple! There is a whole lot of energy that drives creative inspiration that is fueled with high octane compulsion and imagination!

One evening at dusk, 10 years ago, I took a walk to Indian Beach. I was all by myself; alone with only my thoughts and the breeze that rattles through the eucalyptus trees that brush the skies of this once quiet little lakeside park. I sat and stared at the solitary raised piece of concrete, looking more like a large gray tomb encasement than a designated stage. I wondered, when was the last time that stage felt the steps of dancing feet, or heard applause, or smelled grease paint? When was the last time it felt joy? Poor little abandoned and lonely piece of concrete. At this phase in my life I too was a bit lonely. I metaphorically felt that stage slab and I had something in common. I had come to know that being lonely did not mean abandonment and certainly did not have to be permanent. Yet overcoming loneliness did require action. This is where creating one's reality and carving out one's niche comes into the picture.

Looking at the stage with the dry leaves skipping across its cold surface, I began to toy with the idea that this stage and I should merge our mutual desires to have more laughter and joy dance across the stage of our life and fewer dead leaves. I giggled with laughter visualizing Indian Beach bustling with sets and costumes, actors and actresses, lights and sound, and the roaring applause of an entertained audience. I was warmed with the thought of new friends and faces uniting in purpose to fulfill a need for performance arts within the community. I walked home that night knowing that the little gray concrete stage and I would never be the same.

The rest is pretty much recorded history. I called my fun-filled friend Barbara Kennedy and said let's do a Christmas show. She being a visionary woman responded, "Why not?" Never once did we get bogged down with the "have not's." With virtually no budget we produced "The Greatest Little Christmas Pageant Ever", and in spite of rain, our audience was 200 strong under 100 umbrellas. I'm not sue about the star in the east...but certainly the little gray stage was shining! It was then that Pat and Vince Martin approached us with a check for $250.00 and said maybe this will help you with your next show. Wow! We had our first benefactors. With the green of that $250.00 we launched the production of an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz". Now here comes the magic. Out on the grass of what would become "Munchkinland", Barb and I auditioned over 60 people who wanted to be in the show, of course, everyone is Canyon Lake is talented and so everyone got a role! New stars came out of that production.

Stars that never stopped glowing and have continued to be the spine of the theatre organization; The Vecchiones, the Zaitz, the Millers, the Knights (Oz himself), the Ottens, the Boltons, the Haxtons, the Stevens, and the Vatarians. I laugh when I recall Julie Mosbacher making pots of hot chocolate and thermos' filled with "Thera-Flu" to keep us all warm and beat off the flu-bug, during those late night rehearsals. Without Mark Stevens we would have never been able to conquer the technical challenges. We still were unable to afford adequate microphones so whenever a plane flew overhead I directed the cast to "pause-pause-pause".

On closing night the most amazing thing happened, bounding across the park, as only she can bound, was a brunette, bomb-shell of a woman that I had not seen since high school days in Buena Park. Ilene Moore, an energy force from my past, came squealing toward me with her unbridled enthusiasm. She wanted to be a active participant in the Canyon Lake Theatre. She had moved to Canyon Lake, bringing with her an extensive knowledge of the theatre from an educational, musical, and a professional background.

Now the theatre was enhanced with Ilene Moore's, Leslie Vecchoine's, and Barbara Egbert's professional experience. Their united talents would raise the productions to new heights as they undertook the direction of "Sound of Music". No sooner than "Sound of Music" closed did we start dreaming of flying "Peter Pan". Travis Witten who made the monkeys fly in "Wizard of Oz" was resolved to fly Peter higher. Bill Kisgen and John Zaitz took to the task of clearing a few trees from the park and moving mounds of dirt to resolve the site line problem. Chairs were bought, equipment purchased and the tiny little gray piece of concrete had cast of 93 actors, dancing, singing, while some 2000 people visited "Never Never Land" over a six night run. Not to mention a tiny Tinkerbell falling asleep in the set, and in spite of missing her cue she was able to remind us that if we believed in fairies miracles would happen. It was that year that the "theatre fairy" began to be honored as the invisible spirit that would somehow save the show no matter what dreadful circumstances were handed to the budding dramatists. She has saved the day more often than I could count! Money to fund such productions is forever a obstacle to overcome. The following February I suggested the theatre produce an evening of entertainment, not only to raise money but to serve as an evening of song and romance. This was the beginning of the annual Valentine show that Canyon Laker's look forward to annually and subsequently affords the theatre extra revenue.

"Steel Magnolias" was the theatre's first attempt at a smaller production. It was specifically crafted as a vehicle to attract a larger donor-benefactor base. I directed this show with a cast of wonderfully talented actresses: Sue Bolton, Leslie Vecchione, Mary Kapala, Maryanne Stevens, Marty Norris and Marty???. This more intimate theatrical production received positive reviews and thus the theatre adopted as tradition, mounting one smaller show a year as the benefactor event.

Two years later my theatrical life was highlighted as I had the privilege of co-staring with the most talented Monty Jordan in "Same Time Next Year". It was during this time that the theatre began to realize certain administrative demands and Bill and Ethel Faulds came into the forefront to assist in revitalizing not only the physical needs of the theatre site itself, but also the leadership challenges that arise from any organization that grows so quickly and so creatively. During the course of time new faces began to shine under the stars of the moonlight theatre at Indian Beach; many of whom I did not have the joy of working with directly, or even knowing, but I look at each face with awe, delight, and gratitude for keeping the dream alive. My dream was to enrich the cultural and social lives of the people of Canyon Lake through the magic and influence of theatre, a practice that our wise Greeks predecessors recognized as a necessity to the human spirit. June of 1997 I found myself traveling over the rainbow.

My life's journey was directing me toward a new yellow brick road as I was soon to be married and move to Marina del Rey, California. On the day the moving vans arrived I walked to Indian Beach to say goodbye to my dear old friend, the little slab of concrete. I petted her now warm, gray surface, which had been enlarged over the years. I told her that life has many different paths that we each must take, but wherever we go we never need to feel alone for we can create fullness and joy to our lives, simply by fulfilling the measure of our creation. Together this is exactly what that slab of concrete and I did. Needless to say...neither one of us ever felt lonely again.

-Pat Train

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