Los Angeles Theatres: Egyptian 2 and 3 / Arena Stage / Hang On To The Dream

Opened: 1972 by United Artists Theatre Circuit as the Egyptian 2 and 3. These theatres were in an existing concrete block store building facing onto Las Palmas Avenue. Beyond is the 1922 vintage Egyptian Theatre, here with an interesting view of its jagged forecourt wall. The red brick building is the former Christie Hotel, now a Scientology owned building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

In 2024 the building became the Hang on to the Dream Theatre. The foundation operating it is headed by Christopher Ewing. They're offering acting workshops, a Monday open mic night and a comedy open mic night on Tuesdays. Wednesdays at 1pm you can be in the audience for the recording of the "History of Hollywood with Marc Wanamaker" podcast. Wednesday nights are an "Independent Movie Night." Saturday is a family day with "Ketsy's Kids Club" and other events.

Website: www.hangontothedream.org/theatre

For bookings or other information: 818-925-4343

Seating capacity: It's currently 105. At one point as the Arena Stage they advertised a capacity of 85. Seating capacity as the Egyptian 2 and 3 is unknown. Perhaps 300 total.

Dressing rooms: They're upstage, along the north wall of the building.

As the Egyptian 2 and 3: Tickets for the twin could be purchased at the main boxoffice on Hollywood Blvd. Sal Gomez and Chris Willman both recall that the twin also had a small boxoffice of its own. Chris adds:

"I wish it would ever have occurred to me to take photos when I used to go there to review B-movies that had no press screenings in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Sometimes it would be me and just one very colorful homeless person in the audience."

The decor in the auditoria was multiplex tacky. Even for the time it was not a great filmgoing experience. The twin closed, along with the rest of the complex, in 1992. This building is not part of the Netflix/American Cinematheque operation in the original Egyptian Theatre just to the west.

As the Arena Stage: The wall down the center was removed, making it a single theatre with the entrance on Las Palmas Ave. It was used by the Theatre of Arts, a drama school, as a small playhouse and class space called the Arena Stage.

The school re-eqippped the venue as a movie house and from 2010 to 2017 ran films in the evenings, calling it the Arena Cinema. The schedule focused on independent or neglected product. A blurb that once appeared on the Arena Cinema website:

"In 2010, the school (under the leadership of President James Warwick) began an association with Christian Meoli and Voltaire Media, to operate and handle outside bookings. Meoli and Warwick worked in an economical manner together to upgrade the theatre into a dedicated commercial venue, thus returning the space to its roots of cinema.

"Meoli brought exhibitor experience from working alongside Carmike at The Crest Theatre in Westwood in his role as VP Marketing with Bigfoot Entertainment. He also brought a DIY sensibility and a desire to create an exhibitor experience for distributors and filmmakers."

2017 saw an expansion with the opening of the Arena Cinelounge Sunset at 6464 Sunset Blvd. and Arena Cinelounge Santa Monica at 1526 14th St., in the former Santa Monica Screening Room. The Hollywood Times had an April 2017 story about the opening of the Sunset and Santa Monica locations. The article noted that Cinelounge head Christian Meoli would also be involved in programming a ramped up schedule of film events at the Montalban Theatre.

The theatre continued to host occasional productions as the Arena Stage but use was very infrequent. And it was no longer running as a cinema. The Arena Cinelounge operation continues at their Sunset Blvd. location. In 2024 the Theatre of Arts drama school announced that they would be closing in 2025.

Status: In 2024 it became the Hang On To The Dream Theatre, a project of the Hang On To The Dream Foundation, an organization "celebrating 25 years of making kids dreams come true."

Interior views:

A lobby view from a Facebook page the theatre had up c.2012. We're looking west toward the doors facing the Egyptian.

The north side of the lobby with some wiggly leftover United Artists decor. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The south wall of the lobby. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

The venue reborn as the Hang On To The Dream Theatre. Thanks to the theatre's director, Christopher Ewing, for the 2024 photo.

Looking along the north wall to the stairs to the booth. When UA operated the building it was a ladies restroom downstairs, men were upstairs near the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

The entrance doors Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

A c.2012 view of the screen from the venue's Arena Cinelounge days. In the UA era there had been two small auditoria in the space. By this time, in addition to the removal of the center wall, dressing rooms had been constructed in the area behind the screen that we see here. The photo appeared on a now-abandoned Facebook page.

Looking into the auditorium in 2024. Dressing rooms are upstage. Photo: Bill Counter

House right. The current capacity is 105. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

The stage in use for an Indie Music Channel event. Photo: Christopher Ewing - 2024

The rear of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

One of the dressing rooms. Photo: Christopher Ewing - 2024

Upstage center behind the set. Double doors go onstage. To the right is storage and another dressing room upstage right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

In the booth. On the back wall to the left it's a dimmer bank and lighting circuit pigtails. Mounted on the front wall to the right are two motorized autotransformer dimmers installed for house lights when it was the Egyptian 2 and 3. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

Dimmers and pigtails from stage lighting circuits, all installed when the building became a legit venue. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

The view from the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2024

More exterior views:

To get to the Egyptian 2 and 3 you'd walk down the forecourt area but take a left and go off to the separate building on the east side of the main theatre. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

The side of the building that you'd see on your way to the Egyptian 2 and 3. Note the areas on the wall where windows had been filled in. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

The corner entrance to the former Egyptian 2 & 3 in 2010. Note the glamorous UA tile work and light bulb array. Photo: Bill Counter

The Las Palmas Ave. facade of the building at night. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

Thanks to Ken McIntyre for this c.2012 shot of the building, appearing on the private Facebook group Photos of Los Angeles.

The ARENA signage atop the old United Artists entrance lighting canopy. The photo is one that was once on the Arena Facebook page.

A c.2012 view of the southwest corner of the building that once appeared on the venue's Facebook page.

A 2017 look north on Las Palmas. That's the Egyptian, getting a new paint job, off to the left. Photo: Google Maps

In the walkway behind the buildings north of the theatre. We're looking south toward the Arena Stage entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2023

Signage up in 2024 for the new tenant, the Hang On To The Dream Foundation, an organization "celebrating 25 years of making kids dreams come true." Photo: Bill Counter - July 25

The entrance on the southwest corner of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - November 2024

The patio on the west side. The Egyptian is off to the left. Photo: Bill Counter - November 2024

2 comments:

Richard KilroyNovember 12, 2021 at 4:24 AM
I was the projectionist at the Egyptian (both the main house and the II and III) - I recall this very well. We were always ashamed of the II and III because customers believed that the theaters in the back of the complex would be as awesome as the main house.