Video: Families fight to save Dewitt Theater in Auburn
The Dewitt Theater in Auburn, CA is slated to be demolished and replaced with a parking lot in a proposed site plan by Costco.
Constructed by the U.S. government 70 years ago on a portion of the historic Bell land as part of a World War II hospital complex, it enjoyed important entertainment service to the wounded soldiers flown into Sacramento from the wars in Europe, the Pacific, and even Alaska.
Wounded soldiers were able to run their wheelchairs down the connected hallways from the medical wards directly into the theater to see live entertainment as well as movies on a large movie screen. Popular films of the 1940s were shown, and notable Hollywood actors beat a path to Auburn to entertain the wounded soldiers with live entertainment from 1944 to the end of World War II.
Between 1947 and 1972 the DeWitt Cinema, then owned by the State of California, served the mental patients and staff of the DeWitt State Hospital with movies, and was part of a complex of buildings that were a major employer for the citizens of Auburn.
Notable patients that attended the theater included a well-known boxer, Max Baer, as well as an excellent artist, Martin Ramirez, who included an interior view of the theater stage in his artwork that has been recognized in New York and San Francisco.
Music and More Arts Academy was developed by Kay Coder to create music-arts classes (Miniature Musicians) for young children. As the children progressed, new classes and private music lessons were added. Other teachers joined the staff and Music and More Arts Academy quickly evolved into an integrated arts school offering vocal, instrumental, acting, dance and live theater for all ages from 2 to 92.
Parents and adults began showing an interest in acting and our Community Theater Program soon took shape. Music and More has produced over 400 Children’s and Community Theatre shows.
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