OCEANSIDE — Nearly seven months after local leaders smashed through a wall in the historic Sunshine Brooks Theater to commemorate the start of extensive renovations, those same leaders gathered again to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the theater’s $2.2 million revitalization project.
First built in 1936, the nearly 90-year-old theater has been a fixture along downtown Oceanside’s stretch of Historic Highway 101 for nearly a century.
After it opened, Hattie “Sunshine” Brooks donated the building to the city, which still owns it and leases it to the Oceanside Theatre Company. The resident theater company produces professional and youth shows, arts education programs, concerts, comedy, films and other community events.
The Oceanside Theatre Company is also leading the $2.2 million Revitalize the Brooks Capital Campaign, an effort to restore and modernize the theater while preserving its architectural character.
To mark the start of renovations, the company held a “wall smashing” ceremony in December.
The first phase of the project included:
- Expanding restroom capacity from two to six all-gender restrooms
- Creating an open and accessible lobby
- Modernizing the HVAC system
- Enhancing the concession area
- Improving circulation throughout the building for patrons and performers
- Upgrading Studio 219, where the first wall was smashed in January to mark the start of renovations
Part of the renovation connected Studio 219 to the theater’s main lobby. Previously, the studio was cut off from the rest of the building, forcing performers to exit through the front entrance and reenter through Studio 219’s exterior doors. Now, performers can access the studio without leaving the building.
The renovation also raised Studio 219’s ceiling from 9 feet to 13 feet, providing greater lighting flexibility in the rehearsal space. The work also exposed the building’s original prismatic glass transoms, once a popular and practical way of directing daylight into building interiors before modern lighting.
Architect Ann Worth, principal of Object Projects, designed the first-phase improvements, which were constructed by Courtney Ciurej and the CJ Shores Construction team.
Throughout construction, the theater continued operating as usual.
“One of our highest priorities was making sure the Brooks remained a living, working theater throughout construction,” said Kevin “Blax” Burroughs, producing artistic director for Oceanside Theatre Company.
According to Burroughs, the theater company staged three full productions, hosted two camps and held numerous other events during construction.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the first phase was held July 21 in the newly renovated studio.
“I cannot tell you how happy I am to see all of you here and to be in this space. It’s been a long time coming,” said Leann Garms, vice president of the Oceanside Theatre Company Board of Directors.
The first phase cost nearly $900,000 and was originally expected to be completed in March but took several additional months to finish.
The second phase, to be completed at a later date, will focus on the theater itself, including replacing the HVAC system, flooring, carpeting and seating to accommodate up to 200 people, as well as upgrading the sound and lighting systems.
The project received early support from San Diego County, which provided $75,000 to fund the feasibility study.
Leann Garms, president of the Oceanside Theatre Company Board of Directors, said Supervisor Jim Desmond believed in the theater company’s vision for the building before anyone else.
“Long before construction began, Supervisor Desmond helped make our very first feasibility study possible,” Garms said. “The investment allowed us to dream bigger, plan wisely, and create a roadmap for the future.”
Desmond said the theater is near and dear to his heart, recalling his childhood growing up and working backstage at an opera house in his Midwestern hometown.
“In government, we have to knead and grow all aspects of life. It’s not just streets, roads and infrastructure, it’s also the arts and things that bring the community together,” Desmond said.
In addition to the county’s support, the City of Oceanside contributed $500,000 toward the first phase of construction and building improvements. Private donations and grants funded the remainder of the project.
“We’re here to celebrate the first phase, but it’s about more than renovated space – it’s about what can happen when a community decides that art history and culture matter and chooses to invest in them for future generations,” Garms said.
According to Garms, the project builds on the theater’s history as the “community’s building.”
“When it was dedicated in 1936, it was dedicated as the community’s building, and that’s what we’re continuing here,” she said. “It belongs to all of us. The Sunshine Brooks is your building.”
