Los Angeles Theatres: Mayan Theatre: recent auditorium views

The stage from the rear of the main floor. Note the set onstage designed to match the theatre's decor. 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 Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation "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.

The LAHTF 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

See many images from the Morgan, Walls & Clements plans for the auditorium on our vintage auditorium views page.

Across the rear of the main floor. The theatre's seats went away in the 1980s when it became a nightclub. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

The bar at the rear of the main floor. Thanks to James Cottle Photography for the 2016 photo. You can see the rest of his 12 photo Mayan set on the LAHTF Facebook page. For more of his work head to twitter.com/pixguyinburbank.

Note the strip of lights across the top of the bar. Escott O. Norton points out that several runs of these were the original lighting back under the balcony. Now equipped with a string of LEDs, the incandescent sockets are still in there. Escott also points out that the same "lazy S" motif occurs in a band around the auditorium ceiling chandelier and other locations.

Looking across to an exit to the passageway north of the building. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The back wall from house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The far house right exit to the lobby. Thanks to Gary Simon for his 2016 photo. You can see his full set of 32 wonderful photos from the July 2016 LAHTF "all-about" tour of the theatre on the LAHTF Facebook page.

A detail of the wall treatment back under the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The stage from one of the main floor terraces. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

The theatre set up for a party. It's a photo from the site Globalzona that lists clubs and music venues around the country.

The balcony soffit. Note the "lazy S" pattern on the glass over the striplights. It's a Sven Kirsten photo, one in a set of downtown theatre photos he posted on the LAHTF Facebook page in June 2016.

The soffit with the striplights lit. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

A detail at the front of the soffit. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A soffit detail. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

A wide angle view of the front of the auditorium. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

A secret doorway to a storage area to the left of the house left sidestage. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The calendar stone-inspired ornament at the center of the proscenium. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

A ceiling detail above the proscenium. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

Across toward the house right sidestage. Backstage, the grid continues around to the two sidestages at full height. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

Ornament at the front exit house right. We're looking out to the fire escape coming down from the balcony. Thanks to Sven Kirsten for the 2016 photo, posted the photo as a comment to another Mayan view on the LAHTF Facebook page.

The house right sidestage with the fire curtain down. Thanks to Don Solosan of the LAHTF for his 2009 photo.

The column downstage of the house right sidestage. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009

The god guarding the proscenium house right. It's a Sven Kirsten photo, one from his set of downtown theatre views appearing on the LAHTF Facebook page in June 2016.

A strange figure in the hand of one of the sidestage column gods. Thanks to Jonathan Raines for his 2016 photo. And to Bob Marlow for an edit. The image was originally posted on the LAHTF Facebook page.

A detail of the god of the sidestage. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

What a fire curtain! Thanks to Don Solosan for the 2009 photo he took for the LAHTF.

A view of the main and left sidestage fire curtains during a LAHTF tour. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009

A detail of the design on the Mayan fire curtain. Thanks to David Saffer for his photo that appeared on the LAHTF Facebook page in 2009.

Another chance to look at the right sidestage fire curtain. This 2009 Don Solosan photo was taken during a presentation by Ed Kelsey at a LAHTF tour.

A wide angle view from house left. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for his 2009 photo from his Historic Los Angeles Theatres album on Flickr. It's stitched together from multiple images for a 180+ degree view.

A peek in from the front main floor exit house left. We're looking back toward the balcony rail. Those square openings were the spot ports. Photo: Sven Kirsten - LAHTF Facebook page - 2016

The rear of the house from the front main floor exit house left. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

An earlier view of the rear of the house. Photo: Bill Counter - 2010

The rear of the auditorium from centerstage. Note the under balcony strip lights in green mode. Originally incandescent lamps, they're now LEDs. Photo: Don Solosan - LAHTF - 2009

The ceiling from the main floor. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

A look up to the booth. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

Up to the balcony:

The house right stairs. We're at the landing outside the entrance to the balcony looking back down to the mezzanine lobby level. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A wall sconce on the landing just outside the house right entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Carvings at the house right entrance to the balcony. The track was for curtains, long vanished. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

The wall treatment at the house right entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The god waiting for you just inside the house right entrance. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A perhaps 1990s view down. It's a photo by an unknown photographer that appeared on a now-vanished GeoCities site.

Along the crossaisle. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The mural on the house right side of the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Across the back. Photo: Mike Hume

A look down from the top. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

An earlier view. At the time of this 2014 photo the rear of the balcony was draped off -- see the movie screen at the far left. Thanks to Wendell Benedetti for the photo, one posted as a comment on the LAHTF Facebook page.

The lower exit house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Looking out the lower exit. That's a bit of the Belasco across the passageway. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Sidestage detail house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A peek in at the balcony entrance house left. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Carvings at the entrance house left. On the other side of this portal at the balcony crossaisle you can go right to the fire escape in the exit passageway north of the theatre or left to stairs down to the balcony lobby. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

Looking up the risers from the balcony entrance house left. They have no seats anymore. There are cushions for you to use. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

Exit doors with a rather non-original design. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Detail along the crossaisle. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Across to house right. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Looking up to the house left entrance from the lower section. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The rear of the house from near the balcony rail. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A closer look to the booth. There are risers for another row or two of seats back behind that curtain. Also a ladder to the booth. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Out the top exit house left. On both sides at the top there's an enclosed stairwell for the exit rather than a fire escape. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The ceiling:

Along the house left wall from the top of the balcony. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The border at the edge of the circular portion of the ceiling. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A bit of ceiling ornament. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

The center. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

The view from the middle of the balcony. Photo: Mike Hume - 2016

A ceiling detail. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016

Another ceiling panel. Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

A panel just back of center. It's a photo by an unknown photographer that appeared on a now-vanished GeoCities site.

A look into the "chandelier." Photo: Bill Counter - 2016

Another attempt to explore the upper layers of the fixture. There is a little dome in there above the center that was once cove-lit. Photo: Mike Hume

The view from below. Photo: Mike Hume

A closer look. Photo: Gary Simon - 2016. Thanks for all the photos, Gary!

The center of the calendar stone "chandelier." Photo: Mike Hume. Thanks, Mike! Visit the Mayan page on his wonderful site Historic Theatre Photography.

The back edge of the main ceiling from the top of the balcony. Photo: Stephen Russo - LAHTF Facebook page - 2012

Mayan Theatre: recent auditorium views

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