Presented by Steven C. Smith

In this online three-part series, Emmy-nominated documentarian and author Steven C. Smith will treat us to a lively look at some of Hollywood’s greatest behind-the-scenes stories. Registration required to receive the Zoom link. Recordings of sessions are available to registered participants. Interested in coming to PSC to watch a livestream of the zoom? Contact us for arrangements.

Steven C. Smith is an award-winning author and four-time Emmy-nominated producer. Steven’s over-200 documentaries on film history include collaborations with Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Stephen Sondheim, Julie Andrews, Cicely Tyson, Harrison Ford, and Sidney Poitier. He has lectured at the Library of Congress, the American Film Institute, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and other venues. The author of biographies of composers Bernard Herrmann and Max Steiner, his latest book is Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores That Changed Cinema.

Presented by Ross Clark, Pasadena Playhouse Archivist

Gilmore Brown had a dream to build a community theater in Pasadena, California. His vision came to fruition in 1925 with the best equipped theater west of the Mississippi, and a “star factory” college that provided Hollywood with actors, directors, and choreographers. Ross Clark, archivist for the Pasadena Playhouse, takes us on a journey from the theatre’s opening to its closing in 1969, rebirth in the 1980s, and to the present when it is once again a powerhouse in regional theater with a Tony Award for excellence. Please use the registration button to register.

Presented by Tom Sanchez

The City of Los Angeles was founded 234 years ago, in September 1781. Historian and LA enthusiast Tom Sanchez – known as Mr. LA – takes us on an amazing, unseen adventure showing how and where Los Angeles began, when 44 people traveled months through desert, heat, and near-death to found one of the world's great cities, bringing with them the Spanish colonial adobe architecture that defines Los Angeles. This presentation will be in-person and will not be recorded. Please use the registration button to register.