History

The Fremont Centre Theatre (FCT) is a 75 seat 501 (c)(3) non-profit professional theatre located in an historic building in South Pasadena.

Mission Statement:

"It is FCT's mission to discover and rediscover plays of value to produce in an artistic atmosphere that nurtures creativity, originality, and excellence. In addition, FCT is committed to producing theatre that promotes diversity and attracts diverse audiences."

FCT History

In 1997, the California Performing Arts Centre opened the Fremont Centre Theatre (FCT) under the Co-Artistic Director leadership of James and Lissa Reynolds and Managing Directorship of Rosemary Layng. Since then, over 50 shows have graced the stage, the majority of which have been World Premier productions.

The initial stage production at FCT in July 1997 was an original play by William Mesnik called Three Songs (about Hollywood blacklisting) A runaway hit, this inaugural production received several awards, moved on to an Equity Production and set the tone for FCT's ongoing commitment to encouraging, nurturing and launching both new plays and new playwrights. Two other original plays produced by FCT, "Murder Me Once" by Frank Semerano & John Rustan published by Samuel French, and "National Pastime" by Bryan Harnetiaux, published by Playscripts, Inc as a result of FCT's World premier productions.

In addition to new plays, FCT has a commitment to producing theatre that promotes diversity and attracts diverse audiences. To this end, FCT has produced I, Too, Am America! About the African American experience in America, Herotique-Ahh which chronicles the lives of three African-American women over 40, Dibujos De Nuestra Frontera, a physical theatre production exploring Mexican identity and immigration, and National Pastime which tells the story of Jackie Robinson and the desegregation of baseball and America, and the Ovation recommended production of Top Dog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, which moved from FCT to an Equity production at the Cape May Stage in NJ. Our current 2011 production "South Of Delancey" looks at the struggles of seven working class Jewish residents of New York City's Lower Eastside.

FCT is became an international presence by sending its critically acclaimed award winning production of "A Woman of Independent Means" to the Vancouver Fringe Festival in 2005 and 2006 (winning the Popular Choice Award and the Pick of the Fringe), to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in 2007 and to the Cape May Stage in 2009.

For the past few years, FCT has been thrilled to be the venue on occasions for author/playwright Ray Bradbury and his Pandemonium Theatre Co. FCT is honored to have this Pulitzer Prize winning author known as Americas Storyteller turning his stories into plays on the FCT stage!

The Fremont Centre Theatre been honored by many organizations including the La Drama Critics Circle, The Valley Theatre League, The Pasadena Arts Council, The South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, The NAACP and many others.

In addition to producing main stage plays, the Fremont Centre Theatre also ran for many years a playwriting contest to support and nurture new playwrights.

JAMES REYNOLDS (Co-Artistic Director) has been acknowledged as the African-American actor with the longest continuing role in the history of television: Commander Abe Carver (currently Mayor Carver) on NBC's Days of Our Lives. He is a two-time Emmy nominee, for his roles as Henry Marshall on NBC's Generations and Commander Carver on NBC's Days of Our Lives, a role for which he was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award. He has also received a Heroes & Legends Lifetime Achievement Award. James has appeared in over 50 television shows, movies, and in more than 100 theater productions. As a director, he has more than 25 plays to his credit including the world premiers of The Tangled Snarl, Murder Me Once and National Pastime at FCT. Most recently he directed the Ovation recommended play Top Dog /Underdog which moved from FCT to the Cape May Stage in NJ. James is Vice President of the California Performing Arts Centre. James has been presented a number of awards a number including the Red Carpet Award from Women in Theatre, a Gold Crown Award from the Pasadena Arts Council. A former Marine, James travels for the USO and Armed Forces Entertainment and is the 2009/2010/2011 Spokesperson for Veteran Affairs for Hospitalized Veterans. James received the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from Topeka, KS "Living The Dream" Committee & 2010 Image Award from the Mayor of South Pasadena.
LISSA REYNOLDS (Co-Artistic Director) is President of the California Performing Arts Centre. Lissa has produced and Co-produced over 40 plays, most recently the FCT Ovation Recommended production of Top Dog / Underdog She has received the Red Carpet Award from Women In Theatre, the Gold Crown Award from the Pasadena Arts Council, the Arts & Business Award from The South Pasadena Chamber Of Commerce, among many others. As an actress Lissa has starred with Jonathan Winters in the film Say Yes, and currently tours in the award winning solo show of Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey's A Woman Of Independent Means here and abroad. She tours regularly with her husband and Co-Artistic Director James Reynolds for Armed Forces Entertainment Tours and USO handshake tours. In 2008, Lissa was awarded the 29th Congressional District Woman of the Year Award for her outstanding contribution to her community. In 2009, she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from The "Living the Dream" Committee in Topeka, KS and was presented the 2010 Image Award from the Mayor of South Pasadena. Women In Business recently honored Lissa as the 2010 Woman In Arts & Entertainment. She is also the Founding Director of the South Pasadena Arts Council (SPArC), a non-profit that promotes and advocates for local artists.

NOTE: See Past Productions on this website for a partial list and information on past productions.