Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use.
Description
Key Words: Padua Hills Theater Summary: [Tape 1] Casilda Thoresen started working at the Padua Hills Theatre in 1932. She moved to California from Santa Fe, New Mexico, when she was five years old. She went to school for dancing, and when she was twelve she met Bess Garner. Mrs. Garner asked her to live in the Garner House and dance at the Padua Hills Theatre. She remembers when the Mexican Players first started performing at Padua Hills, and recalls some of the first influential players: Flario Vera and Migel Vera. During the Depression, the Mexican Players replaced the Community Players as the central theater group at Padua Hills. She lists some of the other staff who worked at Padua Hills: Catherine Dickinson, Chuck Fits, Kenny Forbes, Olli Pricket and Katie Welch. She describes how Milford Zornes and other local artists would sell handmade ceramics, pottery, glassware, weaving, and jewelry. She describes how Bess Garner, and later Chuck Dickinson, would learn about the folklore of the little pueblitos in Mexico. [Tape 2] She married her husband, Herold Thoresen, and gave birth to a son, Eric. Eight months later, she witnessed her husband's death in a terrible accident. Although she isolated herself for a few years, she eventually found her way back to Padua Hills and “started to live again.” She began taking on other responsibilities at the Theatre including teaching, directing, and public relations. She briefly describes some of the problems that the theater faced during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. After Padua Hills closed in 1974, she managed a restaurant owned by Hernando Cortwright and oversaw similar performances to those at Padua Hills.
Type
sound
Format
Master Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Oral histories
Extent
1 Tape of 1
Identifier
caclah_000006
Language
English
Subject
Folk dancing, Mexican Local history Mexican American women--California--History Mexico--Folklore
Time Period
1932/1974~
Place
Claremont (Calif.)
Provenance
Claremont Heritage California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
