Back in the day...rewind. Back when civilization began, Greek

performances took place in open-air spaces. They were set along

hillsides where the audience, standing or sitting, could hang out

and take in either the drama or comedy being performed. The Greek

theaters consisted of an "orchestra" section in the middle circle,

the "theatron" or viewing place for spectators, the "skene" which

was the area directly behind the stage, and the "parodes" which

were the aisles, more or less, for the actors/spectators to walk.

There's the Greek theater in LA. There's the Greek Theater in

Berkeley. And, of course, Greece has scores of Greek theaters

whence they were created. Today, there are dozens of contemporary

amphitheaters throughout the US and abroad.

In San Diego, we have a place that couldn't give you a better ring

side seat with the Pacific Ocean taking center stage. In fact, back in

1901, it was built and is considered to be the first Greek

Theater in America at, what is now, Point Loma Nazarene University.

This property has quite a history going back to 1897 and the

entrance, stage right, of a certain Madame Katherine Tingley (love

that name) who envisioned "an Athens of the West" at Point Loma.

There's more to the story of Madame Tingley, but as the leader of

the Universal Brotherhood and Theosophical Society which mixes

religious philosophy and metaphysics, she built the original

campus, the Greek theater and she created an amazing site to

behold. If you haven't been to Point Loma Nazarene University to

walk the campus and see how lucky the students are, you've missed

something. They've got it made.

It was only natural to put an amphitheater in the existing sloping

canyon of Point Loma. It has that unmistakable Grecian feel. It is

hard to stand at the center of it and not think back what it must

have been like 100 years ago.

Madame Tingley directed the first public performance in the Greek

Theater in 1911. The performance was appropriately named The Aroma

of Athens. The performances were staged at night experimenting with

outdoor lighting. In fact, rumor had it that the theater was

actually the first to use outdoor lighting. What a bright idea!

Tingley had a history in acting and loved to produce shows. The

first Shakespearean production staged at the Greek Theatre was

Midsummer Night's Dream. Madame Tingley, given her commitment to

the area, often included kids from the Point Loma community in her

Shakespearean plays. The last production was in 1928. Tingley didn't

fare well after a car accident in Europe, followed by a heart

attack, and the curtain came down on the life of Madame Katherine

Tingley when she was 82.

After Madame Tingley's death in 1929, no one was interested in

producing dramatic performances at the Greek Theater. The

Theosophical Society wanted to concentrate more on education and

religious teachings even switching the name back to the

Theosophical Society and dropping the "Universal Brotherhood" that

Tingley had added to the name.

Nevertheless, the Point Loma property continued the tradition of

allowing local students and area schools to use the site for

graduations and events over the years. Eventually the site was sold

and leased and resold a few times to a myriad of colleges and other

uses over the last century.

In 1962, long needed construction upgrades to the theater gave the

old gal a second wind. The theater, today, hosts special events,

graduations, orientations, etc. Whether you like the idea of

seeing an event there or just sitting on the steps and taking in

the surrounding beauty, it can't be beat and is quite the special

place.

If you like architecture, beautiful views in San Diego, and just a

cool place to check out, this is a worthwhile adventure that would

make Aesop proud.

If you're still curious about the property and history of Point Loma Nazarene, read more..