Alfresco Evenings in Carmel’s Historic Amphitheater
Words by Laith Agha
Photo courtesy Pat Hathaway Collection/
Monterey County Historical Society
No reels? No problem.
While Films in the Forest is on hiatus this summer from Carmel’s outdoor Forest Theater, the historic venue is still featuring performances every month—the live variety.
First, the Monterey-based New Canon Theater Company is performing “Othello” for three weeks in June. Then on July 12, SLV Music Management Company is putting on Music in the Forest II, featuring the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Regional All-Star Band of highly talented high school students.
Finally, in August, the Monterey Symphony is planning a performance at the theater, and the Pacific Repertory Company (aka PacRep) begins its run of “Annie” that goes through September.
So, there will be plenty of opportunity to bundle up for foggy Carmel nights to watch the Monterey Peninsula’s finest performers in action. Of course, live performances were the theater’s first stage partner, going back to when the 540-seat theater was built in 1910. That’s when a recent transplant from Los Angeles, actor Herbert Heron, acquired a piece of land from Frank Devendorf (of Devendorf Park fame) and founded the theater among the pines just up the hill from downtown. He had an idea to stage plays by Carmel authors, with local residents as the actors.
More than a century later, locals are still taking the stage–and filling seats.
Forest Theater, Santa Rita St & Mountain View Ave, Carmel-by-the-Sea.