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Meet Jay Parker of Mosaic Lizard Theater Foundation in Alhambra

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Jay Parker.

Jay, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Two theater friends, Alejandro Lang and Claudia Estrada, and myself put together a performance art/Comedy trio together in 1992. We called ourselves the Subterranean Lounge Lizards. I already had about 15 years of theater experience as a playwright, actor and director. We worked in weird little coffee houses all over Los Angeles like The Fudge Factory, Masquers in West Hollywood, the Wildside Theater in Noho and Discafe Bohiem in Silverlake. At Discafe, we had a weekly 11pm show running on Friday nights for about six months. I also produced one of my plays there. As time went on Estrada got busy with other projects so Lang and I focused on the comedy aspects of the Lizards.

We got jobs at Universal Studios Hollywood, performed at the Ice House, the Laugh Factory and hosted a weekly Improvisation showcase at the Comedy Store. During this time I was still doing a lot of playwriting and mounted some of them in Studio City and West Hollywood. When Lang moved on to other things, I continued to write and produce as much as I could, but the cost for doing something like that was pretty heavy, especially when it came to renting rehearsal space. After considering the cost, I realized that I could rent a small studio by the month, produce plays there and actually save money. So that’s what I did. I knew at one time the city of Alhambra was looking for a theater company, and Alhambra being more on the east side of Los Angeles didn’t have many art or cultural things going on.

For four years we worked out of this studio space that we sublet from a dance company. There, the Lizard Theater, which sat about 25, produced classic theater works as well as new works written by local writers and myself.

When the city of Alhambra found out we were there they moved us to a building they owned and gave us a grant to turn what was once a dress shop into a 45 seat playhouse. Once open, with the help of Bryana Pickford, Ruben Aguilar, Greg Langner and my son, Cameron, the theater, now going under the name Mosaic Lizard Theater (The mosaic being added because we were now in the heart of the Alhambra’s Downtown Mosaic district.) We produced more original and classic theater works. After 6 years at that location, the city had to sell the building due re-development funding being pulled. I found our current space a few months after we left the old space. While our funds had been swallowed up by moving and storage costs, the theater, now being run by my son Cameron and myself to a big risk on moving into our new space. As the place takes shape, our acting pool and fan base has continued to grow. We have a lot of support from the community and that helps me to stay focused and not loose heart during tough patches. With the Lizard theater, I’ve seen young people take up more interest in the theatrical arts and I’ve had the joy of watching this side of the San Gabriel Valley grow with other art and theater venues.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The struggle has always been money, mostly. It takes a lot for a small theater to keep its head above water. We’ve not only had to have fundraisers twice a year, but sometimes more than that. Keeping the audiences growing is a constant challenge but all of this comes with the job. Once I accept that this is not only a creative venture but a business venture as well, I get a better perspective on the struggles that come my way.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mosaic Lizard Theater Foundation – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The company is a small theater company dedicated to introducing new works, classic and contemporary plays, as well as new talent to the Los Angeles theater scene. Our mission is to provide a safe creative space for actors, directors, lighting and technical directors, and playwrights to work and refine their craft. Mosaic Lizard Theater is supported by donations, ticket and concession sales. In order to provide the theater experience to all, we keep our prices low while providing special rates for students and seniors. Mosaic Lizard Theater is a color and gender blind entity. I’m most proud of my work with our teen students, watching them grow as performers is very exciting. I also enjoy the family like atmosphere we’ve become and seeing actors we’ve worked with have success.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Our new location is exciting because we have to grow into it. As where the last place we had chance to turn it into an actual theater. This new location has other possibilities, we’re still small, now we seat 30, but we also have room for classes and a podcast booth. So we’ll be offering more workshops and adding more to our podcast projects under the name of Lizard Theater Radio.

Pricing:

  • 8 classes for $80 for acting, playwriting, Improvisation and Children’s Theater.
  • $18 general admission/$15 student and senior for play performances.
  • $10 for special performances, including Improvisation Shows, Comedy Shows and productions for children.

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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