Los Angeles Theatres: Mayan Theatre: basement

The downstage right stairs to the basement. You can get to these from either onstage or out in the exit passageway on the north side of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The bar on the upstage wall of the trap room. The area behind the bar and on either side are dressing rooms. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

In the trap room looking toward stage right. The left wall is at the proscenium line. Several small dressing rooms as well as the stairs up to the stage are straight ahead. Musicians rooms, pit access, and yet more dressing rooms are farther off to the left, under the auditorium. The trap room ceiling is now finished but originally the entire stage area was trappable.

Thanks to Mike Hume for his 2016 photo. Head to his first Mayan view on Flickr and you can page ahead to see all 30 photos he took during the July 2016 LAHTF "all-about" tour. Visit Mike's Historic Theatre Photography site for tech data and hundreds of terrific photos of the theatres he's explored. And don't miss his page on the Mayan.

A closer look toward the stage right end of the trap room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A fan room stage left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Storage in the fan area. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The doorway going downstage at the stage left end of the trap room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Checking out the men's room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A mechanical room stage left. The sign is directing you to a list of early shows at the theatre written on the wall. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The list of early Mayan productions on the sump pump room wall. The opening attraction in 1927 was the Gershwin musical "Oh, Kay!" starring Elsie Janis. As we can see here, it got an 8 week run. Thanks to Don Solosan of the LAHTF for his 2009 photo.

The Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation is actively involved in the study and preservation of the vintage theatres in the Los Angeles area. The group frequently supports events and offers tours of the buildings. www.lahtf.org | group Facebook page | official FB page

A few more shows. "Marianne," #15 on the list, was a sound film starring Marion Davies. Production #23 on the list was Sid Grauman's presentation of the west coast company of the Kaufman & Hart Hollywood satire "Once in a Lifetime." Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF- 2009

A former dressing room turned into a toilet room. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A chorus dressing room underneath the front of the auditorium. The theatre originally had a star dressing room on stage level stage left and several rooms above that. Everything else was in the basement. The basement dressing room space encompassed the area under the stage, of course, but also forward under the pit and a portion of the auditorium as well. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A look along the counter in the chorus room. Thanks to James Cottle Photography for the 2016 photo. You can see the rest of his 12 photo Mayan Theatre set on the LAHTF Facebook page. For more of his work head to: twitter.com/pixguyinburbank.