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Old Town Center for the Arts
In 2005, William and Christine Eaton began renovating the building that would reopen in 2008 as the Old Town Center for the Arts. Christine, a former modern dancer, wanted a building with high ceilings where she could stage aerial shows, but she and William couldn’t find the right space in Sedona, where they live. The OTCA location has been home to five churches and a variety of retail shops specializing in music, antiques and bicycles. Today, OTCA includes a performance theater and Studio B, an adjacent studio offering dance, music and art classes.
Show time:
OTCA’s season runs September through May with an average of one show per week. Shows begin at 7 p.m.
What it’s going to cost you:
Approximately $12 to $25 depending on the show
Full house:
140
The scene:
Middle-aged locals dressed in everything from jeans and Crocs to black dresses and suits sit next to high school girls wearing cut-off jeans and UGGs.
The sound:
International artists and world music such as Tuvan throat singers and a quintet from South America. Local musicians and an annual birthday party for Bob Dylan. Plays, poetry readings and improv comedy.
The digs:
Built in 1938 as a Mormon church, the theater has a historic feel with high ceilings, burgundy velvet curtains across the stage and windows, sunny yellow walls and a wood floor. Ephemeral images are projected behind the bands against the back of the stage.
The libation:
Bottled water unless the theater is hosting a wine tasting
The nosh:
Cookies and snacks at intermission. There’s also space for a café next door, though it was vacant at press time.
The head honcho says:
“There’s a charm to the layout here,” says co-owner William Eaton. “It’s a small, elegant, vintage space that attracts performers from all over the U.S. Word is getting out that this theater has a certain appeal. Christine and I are fortunate to be its stewards.”
The talent says:
“I enjoy performing at Old Town Center for fhe Arts because it is a theater with a raised stage and great sound system, and people go there for one reason, which is to hear and see the performing arts,” says Sedona guitarist Anthony Mazzella.
Random notes:
OTCA hosts the Cottonwood Idol competition, which features performers ages 8 and older. It was also home to a garden expo in March.
633 N. 5th St. in Cottonwood; 928-634-0940; www.oldtowncenter.org
