Sometimes I get into a roll and keep doing the same thing over and over again. Last summer it seemed liked each week my trip of the week was a different beach along the Southern California Coast. This summer, it seems like each week is a visit to a new theater and different production. But I assure you, this is the last “trip of the week” to a Southern California theater for a while!

I live in Torrance, California (for those not from this area about 18 miles south west of downtown LA or 30 km for my friends internationally!). This week I visited the Torrance Cultural Arts Center and especially the James Armstrong Theater. I am partial to this theater because a few years ago I was on that stage with the Torrance Civic Chorale! Rather than performing this time, I was in the audience to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

To be honest, I would only go for rehearsal and performances but this time I had more free time to wander the grounds of the Torrance Cultural Arts Center.

Located in the heart of the South Bay, the Torrance Cultural Arts Center combines modern design and natural beauty into a unique multi-purpose complex. Built for convenience and diversity, the Center houses meeting and banquet rooms, visual and performing arts studios, a 502-seat theatre, two spacious outdoor plazas, and an authentic Japanese garden.

My first stop was the Japanese Garden which featured landscaping and architecture, including a waterfall, koi pond, and stone pathways. It was a very tranquil and relaxing and an excellent spot for meditating. You would never imagine you were in the “middle of the city.”

A few steps away from the Japanese Garden is the Torrance Art Museum which I didn’t even know we had an art museum! The Torrance Art Museum is a program of the Cultural Services Division of the City of Torrance Community Services Department.The Cultural Services Division is responsible for City-sponsored arts and cultural initiatives held at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center and throughout the City.

Through its emphasis on contemporary artistic expression in Southern California, the Torrance Art Museum brings together visual artists and community members; fosters personal and civic well being by inspiring understanding and appreciation of the visual arts; promotes meaningful experiences in the arts to strengthen creative and critical thinking skills; and builds bridges between the visual arts and other disciplines in the humanities and sciences.

Admission to exhibits at the Torrance Art Museum is free. Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 am - 5 pm.

My final stop on the grounds of the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, and primary destination was The James Armstrong Theater. The 502-seat Armstrong Theater hosts all varieties of professional and community productions, as well as large-scale meetings, film screenings, and seminars. The auditorium's plush seating and superior acoustics ensure quality entertainment from every seat in the house, while the extensive backstage scene shop and dressing rooms provide critical resources for performing groups.  Aside from theatrical production, the theater hosts stand up comdedy, orchestras, dance, and a variety of productions. I was here today for the showing of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers by the Torrance Theater Company.

The foundation for the Torrance Theatre Company was laid in 1999, when Bob Myers of the Torrance Cultural Services Division decided it was time to revive the City's once popular summer musical program. The Torrance Parks and Recreation Department had run the program for many years with great success, but when budgets grew tight, the program was cut.

The Torrance Cultural Arts Center was completed in the early 1990's and the Cultural Services Division was created in the late 1990's; now there was a home for the musical - the 502-seat Armstrong Theatre- and a team of arts professionals on site who could get the program off the ground.

Todays show was spectacular with great acting, singing and dancing and excellent set design. And again, as in recent weeks I was able to see a truly profession and spectacular piece of theater for a fraction of the cost of the big name theaters.

Lasty, there is a feeling of reward in supporting local arts and the community so that others may learn to express their creativity and motivate them to participate in the arts and humanities.