Author: Alfredo Casuso

Castro Theatre FAQs

• For every dollar spent on tickets, $ 12 in revenue is generated for local bars, restaurants and shops. This is according to the 2019 “Arts in the Loop” impact study. https://loopchicago.com/assets/f4fdbc1e00/Arts-in-the-Loop-Study.pdf

• Architect / Designer: Timothy L. Pflueger 
• Building Builder & Owner: Bay Properties / The Nasser Family
• Date theatre opened: The historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco opened at 429 Castro St. on June 22, 1922, featuring an invitation-only screening of Across the Continentwith Mayor James Rolph in attendance. Designed by architect Timothy L. Pflueger for the Nasser brothers, this Spanish Baroque-style venue opened to the public the following day. 
• The murals flanking the audience are “sgraffito”: a decorative technique involving scratching through a surface layer of slip, glaze, or plaster (in this instance clay) to expose a contrasting color underneath, derived from the Italian sgraffiare (“to scratch”).
• Current Castro Management, Programming & Operations: Another Planet Entertainment who have an exclusive longterm lease.
• Date Another Planet took over management in January 2022.
• Last pre-renovation performance: “Victor / Victoria” February 4, 2024
• Ribbon Cutting post renovation: February 6, 2026
• First public event: “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” benefit screening for nonprofit Castro Community Benefit District February 6, 2026
• First musical artist: Sam Smith, 20 performance residency February 10 – March 14, 2026
• March 17, 2026 new Castro organ debuts: the largest digital theatre organ in the world, designed to the specifications of longtime Castro organist David Hegarty.
• Venue capacity: 1385 / 1150 seated 
• Number of onsite staff: 20 – 30 depending upon event type
• Fresh popcorn will be popped onsite
• Two concessions will provide lite snacks (peanuts, candies, etc) and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
• The theatre orchestra level. stage & backstage are fully ADA accessible.
• Due to historic preservation requirements, the balcony level is only accessible by stairs.
• Venue will host events of all types including concerts, podcasts, comedy, special events, private functions and its traditional schedule of films including Frameline, the International LGBTQ Film Festival, SF Film Festival, Berlin & Beyond, Silent Film Festival, movie sing-a-alongs, and neighborhood and LGBTQ community events.
• www.TheCastro.com

Film & AV:

Film:

Digital Projector:

NEC NC2043ML 4k Phosphor Laser Projector

Film Projectors:

• 2 Century JJ projectors, capable of both 35mm and 70mm projection.
• Screen: 25’ x 36’ Strongview Vista Motorized Projection Screen
• Audio: Dolby 7.1 surround sound system

Restoration Details.

• Renovation Cost: $ 41 million paid by Another Planet
• Number of contractors who worked on the project: 400 +
• Restoration timeline: February 5, 2024 – February 6, 2026

Restoration Team:

• CAW Architects in collaboration w. preservation architects Page & Turnbull
• Alarcon Bohm  (General Contractor) 
• Evergreene Architectural Arts 
• The Shalleck Collaborative 
• MAR Structural Design
• Charles Salter Acousticians
• Meyers +
• Lightswitch
• Phoenix Day (original builders of, and restorers of, the iconic 1937 chandelier)
• Michelle Franzoia Interiors
• Neon Works
• BuildIT (world’s largest LGBTQ Industry Association) sub. Contractors: Axis Mechanical Inc., Anco Iron & Construction Inc.  and Laner Electric Supply.

Countdown to Castro Ribbon Cutting

Ahoy! Movin’ on up to opening day! Count down ‘til this Friday’s ribbon cutting with Mayor Daniel Lurie, SF Board of Supes President Rafael Mandelman, State Senator Scott Wiener for the Castro Theatre following its $ 41 million renovation, restoration and revitalization by the Bay Area’s Another Planet Entertainment! 

First public event: a screening of “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” benefitting the nonprofit Castro Community Benefit District!
www.TheCastro.com

Happy Birthday Gertrude Stein, Rainbow Honor Walk honoree

Today on the anniversary of her birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946). 

A towering figure of literary modernism, Stein was a poet, novelist, playwright, and cultural catalyst whose Paris salon helped shape 20th-century art and literature, championing voices such as Picasso, Matisse, and Hemingway. Living openly with her lifelong partner Alice B. Toklas, Stein defied convention and expanded the language of identity, desire, and selfhood—leaving an enduring imprint on both modern letters and LGBTQ+ history.
www.rainbowhonorwalk.org

At the link below, read historian Bill Lipsky’s tribute in SF Bay Times.

Rob Lawless’s “10,000 Friends” interview with David Perry

Ahoy! Thanks to Rob Lawless for interviewing me as part of his “10,000 Friends” Project! Please support the project and learn more at https://www.robs10kfriends.com

Below: my interview with Rob as posted on his Instagram page @robs10kfriends.

“It’s the one thing that’ll be in my obituary that I did that was smart, besides marrying my husband.”

While David Perry was the last of his friends to move to San Francisco — “the A group moved, the B group moved and suddenly I had no more friends left in DC” — he’s certainly left his mark on the city.

“I’m the founder of the world’s first LGBT Walk of Fame, the Rainbow Honor Walk. It’s 3 ft by 3 ft bronze plaques to LGBT heroes and heroines in San Francisco, and you can read all about it at RainbowHonorWalk.org.”

The walk is fitting, though, as David’s been a huge fan of history since his childhood.

“I remember my mother and I were in our den in Richmond, Virginia, and the movie, ‘Titanic,’ with Clifton Webb and Barbara Stanwyck [came on] and we sat there watching it, and I was rapt with attention.”

He became obsessed with maritime history and ocean liners. So after studying Theater & Voice at SUNY Fredonia, moving to DC and relocating to San Francisco, David traveled around the world, writing the newspaper for the Crystal Cruises’ Symphony. And in that time, when James Cameron’s “Titanic” came out, he began doing presentations on the ship, leading to a career in speaking.

Still a writer, though, David penned several hundred articles and a best-selling novel (“Upon This Rock”), while helping amplify other people’s stories through his show, “10 Percent,” and his PR firm, David Perry & Associates!

He’s lived a fulfilling life so far, but more than his work, he’s been molded by his loved ones, including his husband, his friends, his mom, his maiden aunts and his grandmother!

“I always say, if you’ve ever seen that old show from the 1980s, ‘Designing Women’ — a group of Southern women — that my family was a cross between the Golden Girls and Designing Women, and those women raised me.”