The Steve Allen Theater at the Center for Inquiry in Hollywood, California, was a 99-seat theater which was developed by founding artistic director Amit Itelman. Moved to The Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan Theater. The

Center for Inquiry The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a U.S. nonprofit organization that works to mitigate belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal and to fight the influence of religion in government. History The Center for Inquiry was established in 1991 by ...

is a nonprofit group founded by

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is his research on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, including e ...

and

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

to promote science and

secular humanism Secular humanism is a philosophy, belief system, or life stance that embraces human reason, logic, secular ethics, and philosophical naturalism, while specifically rejecting religious dogma, supernaturalism, and superstition as the basi ...

. When paranormal investigator James Underdown became the executive director of CFI West in 2003, he named the theater after Center for Inquiry supporter and television personality

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and ...

and offered Itelman an opportunity to define an artistic vision for the space. According to the

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...

cover story ''Why Theater Matters'' - “Itelman has booked interdisciplinary acts (music, comedy and theater) that strike a particularly brainy and idiosyncratic chord." "A kind of theater that bounces off the walls." As described by the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

"''Theater of the Absurd'', Itelman's artistic credo reflects CFI's mission of 'not accepting things as they are' an unlikely lab for some of the freshest, strangest work in town...The bar for eccentricity may be pretty high in Hollywood, but the Steve Allen Theater clears it easily".

Selected shows premiered and developed at the Steve Allen Theater

In an interview with director Jon Schnepp he states that ''

Metalocalypse ''Metalocalypse'' is an American Musical film, musical adult animated television series created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha for Adult Swim. It premiered on August 6, 2006. The television program centers on the larger-than-life melodic deat ...

'' began with small sketches "like 'George Fisher (Cannibal Corpse vocalist) Goes to the Hospital' developed at The Steve Allen Theater. ''Aye Jay Carny Trash'' - An exploration of the carnival underworld by carny Aye Jay. Directed by Amit Itelman. ''The Beastly Bombing'' - Award-winning controversial

Edwardian In the United Kingdom, the Edwardian era was a period in the early 20th century that spanned the reign of King Edward VII from 1901 to 1910. It is commonly extended to the start of the First World War in 1914, during the early reign of King Ge ...

musical about

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguis ...

. Book, lyrics and direction by Julien Nitzberg. Music by Roger Neill. Produced with Rorry Daniels. Toured to New York and Amsterdam. ''Borcht Belt Babies'' -

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

revival show featuring descendants of actual vaudeville stars. Hosted by Janet Klein. Directed by Amit Itelman '' The Church of Satan’s Black Mass'' - The first ever public Satanic ritual on the 40th anniversary of Anton Lavey’s church. Directed by Amit Itelman '' Cartoon Dump'' - Mystery Science Theater’s Frank Connif and film historian

Jerry Beck Jerry Beck (born February 9, 1955) is an American animation historian, author, blogger (person), blogger, and video producer. Beck wrote or edited several books on classic American animation and classic characters, including ''Looney Tunes and ...

’s variety show featuring the worst of animation history. Co-Hosted by Erica Doering. ''Claire and Josh Hate Themselves but Love Each Other'' - written and starring Josh Fadem and Claire Tittleman. ''Clown Town City Limits'' - The dark side of the clowns. Avante Guard Vaudeville. Written and performed by Jim Turner, Mark Fite and David Allen Gruber,

Craig Anton Craig Ward Anton (born August 28, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as Mr. Pettus in '' Lizzie McGuire'' and Lloyd Diffy in ''Phil of the Future''. Early life Anton was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, ...

. Written by Joel Madison, Dale Goodson and Bob Rucker. Directed by John Ferrara ''Dueling Harps'' with Adam Dugas - Veteran performance artist Ann Magnuson shows featuring two classical harpists. ''Hollywood Hellhouse'' - A two story haunted house which was the first time a Hell house was presented to a secular audience. Produced with Becky Thyre, Maggie Rowe and Jill Soloway. Directed by Maggie Rowe and Jill Soloway, haunted house directed by Amit Itelman. Inspired New York production a year later. ''Mary Lynn Spreads Her Legs'' -

Mary Lynn Rajskub Mary Lynn Rajskub () is an American actress and comedian who is best known for portraying Chloe O'Brian in the action thriller series '' 24'' and Gail the Snail in ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia''. Rajskub was a regular cast member on HBO' ...

dark comedy about

postpartum depression Postpartum depression (PPD), also called perinatal depression, is a mood disorder which may be experienced by pregnant or postpartum women. Symptoms include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and extreme cha ...

. Directed by Amit Itelman. ''Max Maven Thinking in Person, an Evening of Knowing and not Knowing'' - Mentalist Max Maven’s first full length show. Directed by Amit Itelman. Toured to Japan, and Europe. ''Nevermore'' -

Jeffrey Combs Jeffrey Alan Combs (born September 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Herbert West in the ''Re-Animator'' film series (1985–2003) and portraying multiple characters in the ''Star Trek'' universe, most notably the ...

portrayal of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

. Written by Dennis Paoli. Directed by

Stuart Gordon Stuart Alan Gordon (August 11, 1947 – March 24, 2020) was an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, theatre director, screenwriter, and playwright. Initially recognized for his provocative and frequently controversial work in experimental theatre, Go ...

''Playing with Micucci'' -

Kate Micucci Kate Micucci ( ; born March 31, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and musician who is half of the musical comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates with Riki Lindhome. Some of her roles include Stephanie Gooch in '' Scrubs'', Ally in '' 'Til Death' ...

in a one woman show featuring music, comedy and guest. Directed by Ron Lynch. ''Re Animator the Musical'' - Cult hit based on Lovecraft lore featuring audience blood "splash zone". Directed by

. Music lyrics by Mark Nutter. Book by Dennis Paoli,

& William J. Morris. Produced by Dean Shramm ''Resbox'' - Experimental music showcase curated by

Hans Fjellestad Hans Fjellestad (born 1968) is an American pianist, music composer and documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Early life Hans Jorgen Fjellestad was born on May 2, 1968. He studied music composition and improvisation at University of Cali ...

. ''The Secret World of Human Science'' - Multi-media variety show written and hosted by

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

filmmaker ZZalgern0n about odd science. Directed by Ron Lynch. ''The Shredder'' - Comedian Emo Philips shreds jokes that don't get a laugh, never to perform them again. ''Things We Don't Understand and Are Definitely Not Going To Talk About'' -

Miranda July Miranda July (born Miranda Jennifer Grossinger; February 15, 1974) is an American film director, screenwriter, actress and author. Her body of work includes film, fiction, monologue, digital presentations and live performance art. She wrote, di ...

’s multi-media performance piece. ''Tomorrow Show'' - Cult Midnight Comedy show originally hosted by

, Ron Lynch and Brendon Small, then helmed by Ron Lynch. This staple of Los Angeles comedy launched

's career and features vignettes by the Doorknockers.

Other notable performances

''The Idiots'' - A Comedy about Watson and Crick launched the theater's first season. Written and Starring Ron Lynch and Craig Anton. ''The Art of Bleeding'' – A night of experimental theater in which the audience experienced the sights and sounds of an actual medical emergency. Created and Produced by Al Ridenour. Special guests included

Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and musician. In her Stand-up comedy, stand-up routines she critiques social and political problems, especially about race and sexuality. She starred in the Ame ...

, Danny Shorago, Satanica, Los Ninos De La Tierra. ''The Vampira Show'' – A Tribute Show and Fund Rasier hosted by

Dana Gould Dana Gould (; born August 24, 1964) is an American stand-up comic, actor, writer, and voice artist who has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. He voiced the titular character in the '' Gex'' franchise, and wrote for ''The Simpso ...

for actress

Maila Nurmi Maila Elizabeth Syrjäniemi (December 11, 1922 – January 10, 2008), known professionally as Maila Nurmi, was an American actress best known for creating the Camp (style), campy 1950s character Vampira. She was raised in Astoria, Oregon, where ...

(Aka Vampira). Proceeds from the show went to a Fund to get Nurmi interred in

Hollywood Forever Cemetery Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematorium, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries ...

. ''Eban Schletter’s Witching Hour'' – Eban Schletter, composer for the show ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

'', put on a live version of his debut Halloween album ''Witching Hour''. Starring Dave Foley, Paul F. Tompkins, Tom Kinney, Samm Levine, Grant Lee Phillips, Kris McGaha, Scott Aukerman and many more. ''Girly Magazine Party'' – 1970s late night cable access show ''à la'' Playboy After Dark starring a plethora of rotating performers including Jim Turner, Mark Fite,

, Music by Andy Paley, and many more. ''The Rudy Casoni Variety Show'' –

Rat Pack The Rat Pack was an informal group of singers that, in its second iteration, ultimately made films and appeared together in Las Vegas casino venues. They originated in the late 1940s and early 1950s as a group of A-list show business friends, s ...

review hosted by Toby Huss. Music by Andy Paley & The Dago 5. Performers include Tom Lennon and Ben Garant, Billy the Mime, The Lampshades, Pat Healy, and Mark Fite. ''Maja Doust'' – The self-proclaimed White Witch of Los Angeles, from the Philosophical Research Society, performed as an

Oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...

and answered various, deep audience questions about life, death, love, and the universe. ''Supersmall'' – A benefit for "The 21st ChromosHome" project to help create a special needs community for people with Down Syndrome. Performers included Peter Hayes (of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club), The Lampshades, Two-Headed Dog, Erin Quigly, and many other contributors. '' The Whitest Kids U' Know'' – The NY based Sketch Comedy group debuted their first feature film, ''The Civil War on Drugs''. '' Robochrist Industries'' - Christian Ristow and his maniacal misfits of metal and mayhem presented actual live Robotic warfare (actual giant mobile robots destroying stuff) in the parking lot at the Steve Allen. ''For the Glory of Steel'' - The

Society for Creative Anachronism The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) is an international living history group with the aim of studying and recreating mainly Medieval European cultures and their histories before the 17th century. A quip often used within the SCA describes ...

brought a night of contact

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

battle in full-on armor. With guest metal band, Crom. ''The Car Plays'' – Moving Arts Theater Company presented fifteen ten-minute pieces in actual cars. Multiple directors included Moving Arts artistic producer Paul Nicolai Stein. ''The Unholy Three'' - Magic cabaret trio featuring David Lovering, Rob Zabrecky, and Fitzgerald performed their exclusive Magic Castle mystery revue with live piano accompaniment by Brad Kay. '' 2 Headed Dog'' - a four-man comedy troupe based in Los Angeles, composed of comedians Jim Turner, Mark Fite,

, and Dave Allen.

The Kids in the Hall

The Steve Allen Theater is the Los Angeles home for The Kids in the Hall Canadian

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

group. Multiple performances include their Reunion, Reading of Pilot Episode, Premier of Death Comes to Town, Premiere of Grand Guignol short, the Final Kiss starring Dave Foley and Scott Thompson and Directed by Amit Itelman. Solo shows by

Bruce McCulloch Bruce Ian McCulloch (born May 12, 1961) is a Canadian actor, comedian, writer, musician and film director. McCulloch is best known for his work as a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, including starring in the TV series of the s ...

, Kevin McDonald and Scott Thompson. The Tribute, a musical directed by Dave Foley.

Selected screenings

Cronenberg Retrospective, featuring the Los Angeles premier of '' At the Suicide of the Last Jew in the World in the Last Cinema in the World''. Horror Drive In Movie Series ( Drive in technology by Eric Kurland of Hollywood MobMov) - Human Are Such Easy Prey drive-in,

Masters of Horror ''Masters of Horror'' is a horror anthology television series created by director Mick Garris for the Showtime cable network. Origin In 2002, director Mick Garris invited some director friends to an informal dinner at a restaurant in Sherm ...

drive-in, curated by Mick Garris.

Lost screenings

Tobe Hooper Willard Tobe Hooper (; January 25, 1943 – August 26, 2017) was an American filmmaker, best known for his work in the horror film, horror genre. The British Film Institute cited Hooper as one of the most influential horror filmmakers of al ...

’s lost first feature, ''Eggshells'', An American

Hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...

in Israel, exploitation release of lost hippie film featured performance by Nashville garage band The Ettes.

Selected music performances

Janet Klein - Naughty, lovely and obscure musical gems. Film historian

presents rare vintage 16mm short films to open the show.

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

& Rancid – Founder of Legendary band X, John Doe, featuring an acoustic set with Rancid. Salty Songs and Gilded Gab – Rockabilly Legend, Phil Alvin (of

The Blasters The Blasters are an American rock music, rock band formed in 1979 in Downey, California, by brothers Phil Alvin (vocals and guitar) and Dave Alvin (guitar), with bass guitarist John Bazz and drummer Bill Bateman (drummer), Bill Bateman. Their s ...

) & Marquis Howell (of Hobo Jazz & Janet Klein's Parlor Boys) present a night of acoustic roots music. Hollywood Hotshots – An evening of hot upstairs Jazz special guests have included

Victoria Jackson Victoria Jackson (born August 2, 1959) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1992. Early life Jackson was born in Miami, Florida, the daughter of Marlene Esther (née Blac ...

and

Seth MacFarlane Seth Woodbury MacFarlane (; born October 26, 1973) is an American actor, animator, writer, producer, director, comedian, and singer. He is best known as the creator and star of the television series ''Family Guy'' (since 1999) and ''The Orvill ...

. Soriah

Tuvan throat singing Tuvan throat singing, also known as Mongolian throat singing, is a style of singing practiced by people in Tuva and Mongolia, the main technique of which is known as ''khoomei'' ( or ). It is noted for including overtone singing. In 2009, it w ...

and Indonesian Shadow Puppet Theater. The Bilgewater Brothers –

Jug band A jug band is a musical band, band employing a jug (instrument), jug player and a mix of conventional and homemade instruments. These homemade instruments are ordinary objects adapted to or modified for making sound, like the washtub bass, washbo ...

Jazz performed by David Barlia and John Reynolds. Headless Hearsemen - Surf band black light performance of headless musicians. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn - with

Dave Lovering David Sullivan Lovering (born December 6, 1961) is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1986. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several ...

, Amit Itelman and Oscar Rey. Tulsa Skull Swingers – Stomp Surf band featuring

, Blaine Capatch, Amit Itelman, Ron Lynch, and the Poubelle Twins. Faun Fables – Faun Fables is a psychedelic, folk band and performance art trio including Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl. Becky Stark – Lavender Diamond front woman variety show featured

, Josh Fadem, Ron Regé Jr., and more.

Closure

In March 2017, the Center for Inquiry board announced it accepted an offer to sell the theater and surrounding property. The new owner announced its plan to demolish the current structures on the site and construct a housing complex. The last performance was a gala on November 3 called ''The Last Night of the Steve Allen Theater'' that featured approximately 20 performers who recreated scenes from previous productions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steve Allen Theater 2003 establishments in California Theatres in Los Angeles