I am an AGHS alum, so I remember the days when the Clark Center was just a grove of pine trees and grass with a large wooden thermometer sign showing how much more money was needed before a professional performing arts center would materialize in that spot. When I returned to the area after college, a beautiful building was in fact there! And even more extraordinary is that it hosts more community and school events each year than ticketed shows.
That said, the staff at the Clark Center — from the Executive Management, to the Marketing Department, from the Box Office to every single volunteer usher, valet and snack bar attendant, this 600 seat venue looks and feels like a major metropolitan performance house and attracts some fairly impressive names to boot!
Although not a Theater Professional, I am told that sound and lighting is also impressive given the size of the space. Some of my fav’s have been Gloriana, Jack Ingram, The Great Big Sea, The Best of San Francisco Comedy Competition and Preservation Hall Jazz Band — to name just a few.
If you haven’t caught a show at The Clark Center for the Performing Arts, I strongly recommend that you add it to your “bucket list.” It is an amazing theater attracting amazing shows for reasonable prices and hidden in sleepy Arroyo Grande. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t returned to see it for myself!
In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I am a board member for the Association that manages the daily operations at the Clark Center. However the reason I am a board member is because of how the venue is run and the type of shows it attracts, considering the theater size.
The Clark Center for the Performing Arts
487 Fair Oaks Avenue
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
