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Former Center Theater in Fremont to become Afghan cultural center
posted by
CSWalczak
on
December 1, 2010 at 3:46 pm
FREMONT, CA — The former Center Theater, also known as the Park, will soon become a center for Afghan culture and a broadcast studio targeting the Afghan community. The theater, opened in 1946, has been periodically closed over the last decade, and was also used to show Spanish and then Bollywood films. A preservationist group is disappointed at the new use, as they had hoped for something more “inclusive,” but the new operator says the programming will not be political.
While the television station will broadcast to viewers with special satellite hookups across North America, the theater also hopes to forge bonds with Afghan students in Fremont.
“We have a lot of talented people, but we don’t have anyone to guide them,” said Qader Eshpari, a 37-year-old Fremont singer, who will be in charge of sound and video production at the theater.
There is more at InsideBayArea.com
Comments (2)
Here’s hoping they don’t let extreme religious views affect the bas relief busts of Mercury on the facade, or the two nude goddesses which still fly across the auditoium ceiling. These features, together with a fine floral terrazzo entry sidewalk, are almost the only things of an artistic nature which make the building worth keeping intact.
Reading the article in more detail, it’s good to see that they are wanting to steer clear of politics and religion. I can certainly see how Afghanis would be very weary of that sort of thing,having fled much extremism in their country of origin and, like any group anywhere in the world, want to simply celebrate creativity and be entertained, which is what theatres are chiefly built for in any time, in any community.