About the High Street Arts Center:

The High Street Arts Center has had a long and rich history as a source of culture and entertainment for the residents of Moorpark. In its early incarnation, the El Rancho, located at 45 East High Street in Moorpark, California, was built in 1927 to replace an old wooden structure that housed a silent movie theater. The El Rancho had the distinction of being the only "talking movie" theater in the east end of Ventura County. Sometimes referred to as the Moorpark Theatre, it closed as a movie house in the 1950's and was used for school and community productions. It had many incarnations, eventually even being used as a junk shop. It eventually re-opened as a live event theater in 1983, the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville Co., and changed ownership several years. The theater enjoyed limited success before it went bankrupt in 1999.

In 2001 Larry Janss, whose father and grandfather developed much of Westwood and the San Fernando Valley, bought the building with the intent of creating a new cultural center for Moorpark. He revamped the theater inside and out, putting in lighting and sound equipment, a new concession area, a retractable movie screen, new plumbing and electrical systems, and a new marquee. After a light-hearted competition, the theater was renamed the High Street Theater, and was transformed into a vibrant venue for classic film, live concerts and plays. The auditorium seating even featured wooden shelves, as it did in the 20s, allowing patrons to bring food and drinks purchased in the lobby into the auditorium. While the renovations were awesome, the cost of these upgrades were more than initially anticipated. Mr. Janss began to look at buyers for the property. Having put so much effort into creating a theater, he hoped to sell the property to someone who would continue using the property as such.

In August of 2005 the City Council of Moorpark came to an agreement with Larry Janss, and voted to purchase the theater. After several rentals to local theater production companies, the city, via the Redevelopment Agency, embarked on a new venture: creating a Cultural Arts Center for the Moorpark community. In May of 2006 the city hired L.J. Stevens as the General Manager of the theater and renamed the theater the High Street Arts Center. Under Mrs. Stevens’ guidance, the theater opened its first city-sponsored season with the critically acclaimed production of BARNUM. The city has great plans for the redevelopment of High Street, and sees the institution of a Cultural Arts Center as an important step in that goal. As residents and visitors discover the jewel of the High Street Arts Center, they also discover the wonderful restaurants and shops that reside along High Street as well. As that happens we know that people will think of High Street as the heart of Moorpark, with its (pepper tree) roots still firmly planted in its rich past, and its face shining brightly with the glow of the future.

I Do! I Do!
Moorpark Acorn
August 21, 2009

The Complete History of America, Abridged
Ventura County Star
May 22, 2009

The Prisoner of Second Avenue
Moorpark Acorn
February 13, 2009