Back from the El Portal. We now have a difficult decision to make, which I'll talk more about in the notes. We all really liked the vibe of the El Portal (their 99 seat space), but it's not an ideal space for doing our set, unless our designer can be brilliant and figure out a way to make it work. It's also not available until January 1st, but I'm not begin as negative about that as I once was. They also really want us to do the play there - I've known the woman who runs the theater for years, and she likes me, likes my work, and likes the idea of me being there. That's a big plus, if you ask me. However, if we resign ourselves to wait until January, we could have the Hudson, where we did What If. It's difficult - the Hudson I know, people know it, it's in Hollywood. The El Portal is in North Hollywood, although they do get audiences out there and they do very well. Both theaters are nice, although the El Portal, being a former movie theater, has great marquee value. It's also less expensive than the Hudson, and again, I know they'd help us in whatever ways they can, which you don't get at the Hudson. Which brings us to the Egyptian Arena Theater in Hollywood. We COULD go in there and open end of November. The inside of the theater is nice, and the size of the stage would work really well for us. BUTT - the neighborhood is funky (it's right off Hollywood Blvd - south - on Las Palmas, literally located in back of the famous Egyptian Theater, now the home of the American Cinematheque. There's a funky little marquee on Las Palmas, but to get to the theater you have to walk through a parking lot - it's a bit weird. It's priced well, we could open this year, etc. But, if we wait until January, at least we don't have to be concerned about the holidays. I welcome all opinions.
