Carmel’s Forest Theater shuttered for structural, wiring issues

The century-old Forrest Theatre in Carmel won’t be hosting any thespians this month, and possibly not even this summer.

City officials shuttered the landmark theater Wednesday because of decades-old wiring and structural issues, leaving several theater companies scrambling to find new venues to perform.

Stephen Moorer, director of Pacific Repertory Theatre School, said the timing of the closure couldn’t be worse with the summer season approaching.

The theater school is now working around the clock to find a new home for its dramatic arts classes and summer camps. Their current production of “Shrek” has had to be moved to the Golden Bough Theater, which has far fewer seats than the Forest.

“it’s going to be sad – I mean this is the first time since I was a kid I won’t spend my summer at the Forest Theatre,” said Moorer.

The theater company has been working out of the Forest Theater for more than 30 years, he said. Still, he’s glad the wiring and structural problems were detected before someone got hurt.

There’s currently no timeline for when the building will be reopened.

The Pacific Repertory Theater Company’s production of “Shrek the Musical” will still go on as scheduled, however, for a seven-week period starting in August. Instead of the Forest, it will be performed at the Golden Bough. More information available here.