The Yuba Theatre
The Yuba Theatre is located in Downieville, the county seat of Sierra County. The Sierra County Arts Council, through a lease agreement with the private owner, became involved in the operation of the theater in 1996. Over the next few years, the Arts Council renovated the theater and transformed it into a performing arts venue.
The Yuba Theatre, Downieville
With its 189 seats, the Yuba Theatre is the only fixed-seat theater in Sierra County. Since 1996, many community events, including movies, film festivals, musical presentations, dance classes, school drama and community theater productions, book signings, slide shows, lectures, conferences, and meetings have been held there.
History of the Yuba Theatre
Mr. V. C. Shattuck of Grass Valley built the Yuba Theatre in 1940 for his son, Bill Tamblyn. The theater was built in the same style as the St. Charles Hotel, a Gold Rush era structure located across Main Street in Downieville. The original projection equipment had been used to show movies at Gold Lake in the summers. The Tamblyns operated the movie theater from 1940 to 1946, commuting from Grass Valley. Ray and Ann Costa Brett, of Downieville, bought the theater in 1946 and operated it until 1974. Ann Brett had originally been an usher at the Yuba Theatre during the Tamblyn tenure.
Betty and Eben Smart, of Sacramento and Goodyears Bar, bought the theater in 1974. They upgraded the projection equipment and sound system, replaced the carpeting, and remodeled the projection booth. The Smarts operated the theater with their sons Knight and Rett until 1984, when attendance declined as VCRs and satellite dishes enabled people to watch movies in their homes. After that, the theater was used sporadically for occasional movies and community programs.
The Yuba Theatre in Winter
In 1996, the Smarts leased the Yuba Theatre to the Sierra County Arts Council, which transformed it into a performing arts venue by constructing a stage and installing a technical booth, stage curtains, professional stage lights, a new sound system, and a heating and air conditioning system. With the loss of state funding to the California Arts Council in 2002, the Arts Council could no longer pay the rent for the theater. The owner joined the SCAC Board of Directors and has forgiven the rent since November 2004, in order to support the Arts Council and its mission.
Arts Council Objectives for the Yuba Theatre
Sierra County has obtained a grant from the state Parks and Recreation Department to acquire the Yuba Theatre and surrounding property in Downieville. The Sierra County Arts Council considers it a privilege to operate its activities from the Yuba Theatre and is grateful to the Smart Family and the County Board of Supervisors for their generous support of the arts in Sierra County. The Arts Council intends to use the theater to bring a diversity of cultural experiences into the community:
- As a professional performing arts venue to encourage presentations of drama, music, dance, and the visual arts for both adults and children;
- By providing a variety of accessible cultural experiences for local audiences;
- By expanding cultural diversity and experience for residents and visitors;
- By supporting local businesses through enhanced cultural tourism;
- By ensuring that events do not conflict with other calendared programs, and are scheduled to enhance community events; and
- By encouraging community support through volunteer opportunities