This site is a service project of Los californios®
This is a work continually in progress, which relies upon participation from visitors.
If you have material (or usable scans of that material) that you would like to contribute
to the effort, please communicate with us at
info@loscalifornios.com.
We especially need help identifying the names of Players shown in the photographs.
Paduanos Image #1 — Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre Dining Room
Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los californios® Collection
Please help us identify these women and the time period that they worked at the Theatre.
In her book, Mexican Serenade: The Story of the Mexican Players and the Padua Hills
Theatre (1961), Pauline B. Deuel tells how Bess Adams Garner and Herman Garner were
inspired by a dining experience in Italy shortly before the opening of Padua Hills Theatre.
She says they “were entertained by strolling musicians who played and sang for them.
This dinner program so impressed the Garners that they decided to initiate it at home.”¹
The Garners hired Mexican and Mexican-American youth to serve as waiters and waitresses,
and as musicians, singers and dancers in the dining room during the meals. Little did the
Garners realize, when they hired their dining room and kitchen staff, that these talented,
hard working performers would become the future and legacy of the Padua Hills Theatre.
Mr. Garner with members of the Padua Hills Theatre
staff. Please help us identify them.
The Padua Hills Theatre opened its doors December 2,
1930² featuring The Claremont Community Players in the play The
Royal Family. And in the Spring of 1931 the future Mexican Players
had the opportunity to perform a production called Noche Mexicana,
twice for The Community Players and twice for a Parent-Teachers’
Association benefit. This acclaimed production set the stage for
these budding actors who were waiting in the wings.
In July of 1932, when the Theatre normally would go
dark for most of the summer, the dining room staff presented a new
production, opening Serenata Mexicana on July 2 as an attraction
during the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The popularity of the
program finally caught the attention of the Theatre organizers who
scheduled Serenata Mexicana in performances during the regular
performing year, and The Mexican Players began their official existence.
Historic Postcard of entrance to the Padua Hills Theatre — 1934 Paduanos Image #3 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los californios® Collection
Placard reads: Padua Players present:
“A Woman of No Importance”
A comedy of Manners by Oscar Wilde. Opens Mar. 19.
This play ran from March 19 - 30, 1934,
performed by the Pasadena Community Playhouse as The Padua Players.
Members of The Mexican Players are shown in this photograph and the next.
The Claremont Community Players continued to
present plays for three seasons, until June of 1933, before pressures from
the Great Depression finally closed this community theater project. During
the last season, they shared the stage with The Mexican Players who
filled in for the struggling community theater group. Starting October 30, 1933,
the Pasadena Community Playhouse as The Padua Players produced plays
in the Padua Hills Theatre, sharing the space with The Mexican Players. They
produced plays for two seasons. With the opening of the new season on October 9, 1935,
The Mexican Players became Padua Hills’ only theater group.
Historic Postcard of Padua Hills Theatre — 1934 Paduanos Image #4 — Photo attributed to Irene Welch Garner Los californios® Collection
Historic Flyers of Padua Hills Theatre
Los californios® Collection
Historic Flyer of Padua Hills Theatre — 1947 Los californios® Collection
Historic Flyer of Padua Hills Theatre Los californios® Collection
The entrance to the Padua Hills Theatre and Dining
Room was used often as a background for publicity photographs. It
was an easily recognized icon for several generations of fans.
Historic Postcards and Photos of paduanos at Entrance to Padua Hills Theatre
Postcard photos attributed to Irene Welch Garner, and photos by Irene Welch Garner
Paduanos Image #5 — Los californios® Collection
Alfonso and Conchita Gallardo of The Mexican Players
Paduanos Image #6 — Los californios® Collection
Postcard mailed March 17, 1946
Paduanos Image #7 — Los californios® Collection
Paduanos Image #8 — Alfaro Family Collection
Celia García and Rogelio Alfaro at the entrance to the Padua Hills Theatre
Thanks to Esmeralda Marroquin for identification of
Celia in this photograph.
Esmeralda adds: “She [Celia García]
passed away a couple years ago, and was godmother to Angela Rubio.
Yes, it truly became one big family to all that were there!”
Paduanos Image #9 — Alfaro Family Collection
Front: María Abundis and Rogelio Alfaro
Back: José Guadalupe Rubio and Celia García
Paduanos Image #10 — Alfaro Family Collection
Hector Chávez, Gustavo Alfaro, Lupe Rubio, Viola Nuñez, Celia García
The curtain at Padua Hills Theatre was a map of Mexico
painted in bright colors. Pauline Deuel³ records that the map was
“designed and painted by Charles Dickinson,” but paduanos also
remember proudly being involved with the design and execution with
particular credit going to Alfonso Gallardo.
Theatre Curtain with Cast Paduanos Image #11 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
Paduanos Image #12 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
Historic Postcard Mailed in 1949 — The Mexican Players
Paduanos Image #13 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
“Enjoyed these Mexican Players very much the other evening.
One’s waitresses and bus boys turn actors and actresses following dinner for theater.
All Spanish dialogue but a lot of fun nevertheless.”
Casilda Amador & Rogelio Alfaro in the Padua Gardens
Paduanos Image #14 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
Color photos are historic postcards in the Los californios® Collection. The
black and white photos, from the same photo session, are from the Alfaro Family Collection. All the photos are presumed to
be the work of Irene Welch Garner
Paduanos Image #15 — Alfaro Family Collection
Paduanos Image #16 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
Paduanos Image #17 — Alfaro Family Collection
Historic Photos and Postcards of Paduanos at Padua Hills Theatre
This historic image of The Mexican Players has been recaptured in
modern Claremont as part of the Claremont Village Mural.
Paduanos Image #27 — Historic postcard Los californios® Collection
Paduanos Image #28 — February 2004
Photo by Vykki Mende Gray
Paduanos Image #29 — Photo by Vykki Mende Gray
Part of Claremont Village Mural — Claremont, California
Paduanos Image #30 — Alfaro Family Collection
Vida Amador, Luis Abundis & Ysabel Alba
Paduanos Image #98 — Alfaro Family Collection
Historical photograph by Irene Welch Garner
Front:
________________
________________
________________
Middle:
________________
________________
________________
Back:
________________
Rogelio Alfaro
Rogelio Alfaro in 2004 with David Swarens and Janet Martini of
Los californios®
Paduanos Image #99 — Photograph by Vykki Mende Gray
Rogelio Alfaro in 2004 with his daughters
Paduanos Image #100 — Photograph by Vykki Mende Gray
Click here to find additional images in the
Gallery.
If your family has recollections or images of Padua Hills Theatre that you would like
to share on this web site, please contact Los californios® at
info@loscalifornios.com.
