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..