Built in 1917, the Edison Theatre on Broadway in downtown Long Beach has a rich history, ranging from housing the Nippon Pool Room and Barber Shop in 1924 to its latest—and sadly last—embodiment as the home base of Long Beach State’s graduate theatre company, the California Repertory.
The tale of CalRep and the Edison is a lengthy one but can be summed up succinctly as a battle of seismic codes and neighboring properties. Since CalRep is part of the public CSU system, its seismic codes are stricter than buildings not directly affiliated with the CSU. In this sense, Edison is sound seismically; however, the American Liberty Bonds building next to it is not.
And in 2006, CalRep was forced to move out by the CSU, becoming a vagabond company that has performed at multiple locations, from the Armory on 7th to the Queen Mary. It also attempted to fight—for years—to raise enough money to get back into the Edison.
Read more at Long Beach Post