Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff WriterMOORPARK - Saying he can no longer play the role of a ``bene...

1. HISTORIC THEATER FOR SALE OWNER SAYS HE'S TIRED
OF PLAYING BENEFACTOR.
Byline: Andrea Cavanaugh Staff Writer
MOORPARK - Saying he can no longer play the role of a ``benevolent benefactor
ben·e·fac·tor Â
n.
One that gives aid, especially financial aid.
[Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin benefacere, to do a service; see benefaction. ,'' Larry
Janss has asked the city of Moorpark to buy the historic Theater on High Street.
After pouring $900,000 of his own money and $750,000 in redevelopment agency loans into the 75-
year-old theater, Janss, 54, a descendant of a pioneering Conejo Valley The Conejo Valley is a region
spanning both Southeastern Ventura County and Northwest Los Angeles County in Southern
California, United States. It was discovered in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo,
and eventually became part of the Rancho El Conejo land grant by  family, is losing money on the
venture, he wrote to the City Council in a letter dated July 14.
``I have taken my best shot,'' Janss wrote. ``I can no longer play the role of the benevolent
benefactor.''
Despite some successes in staging folk-rock and other productions, renovation cost overruns Noun
1. cost overrun - excess of cost over budget; "the cost overrun necessitated an additional allocation
of funds in the budget"
cost - the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor  ate up the theater's
promotion budget, and the venue ``never really got traction,'' Janss wrote.
Several churches have expressed an interest in buying the theater, but would want to make
considerable alterations to the building, including leveling the sloped floor and rearranging the
nearly 300 seats, Janss said in a telephone interview.
``I'd like to sell it to someone who will keep it as a performing arts venue,'' he said. ``But if that
doesn't happen, I can't continue to underwrite this thing forever.''
Right now, Janss is running the theater at a loss, covering insurance, loan payments and other fixed
expenses with only a couple of future shows booked, he said.
City Councilman Clint Harper said that although the council hasn't discussed the proposal yet, he
would be willing to consider having the city take it over. But the $1.65 million asking price is way
too high, he said.
``This is the closest thing Moorpark has to a performing arts venue,'' Harper said. ``Given its

2. historic place on High Street, I'd hate to see it go to some other use.''
Although Janss wrote that the theater is a ``true value'' at $1.650 million, he would be willing to
negotiate the price, he said. The city's forgiveness of his $750,000 redevelopment loan would make
an excellent down-payment, Janss said.
Councilman Keith Millhouse said the theater is a luxury the city can't afford to take on.
``It's a great little theater, but I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed)
"Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or
receives conflicting instructions from the other party. Â what we can do with it,'' he said. ``It may be
ahead of its time for High Street.''
In his six-page letter to the City Council, Janss outlined the improvements he has made since buying
the building in August 2001, including new electrical and plumbing systems, modern sound, lighting
and projection equipment, new curtains and concession stand Concession stand is the term used to
refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, Stadium, or other
entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties. , and
a retractable re·tract Â
v. re·tract·ed, re·tract·ing, re·tracts
v.tr.
1. To take back; disavow: refused to retract the statement.
2. Â movie screen.
The extensive work was needed to counter 30 years of neglect to the building, Janss said.
The theater's interior has been completely renovated, with dark red seats and eggplant-hued
draperies, walls and ceilings. The back of each row of seats is outfitted with hardwood shelves, an
addition Janss made so that theatergoers would have a place to set their drinks.
Six original chandeliers are suspended from the ceiling. Over-sized prints by Mexican artist Alfredo
Ramos Martinez line the walls, and a large mural overlooks the tiled lobby and concession stand.
The theater, which was opened in 1928 as the ``El Rancho El Rancho may refer to:
El Rancho Charter School, a public charter school located in Anaheim, California El Rancho High
School, a public school in Pico Rivera, California El Rancho Hotel & Motel, a Gallup, New Mexico
Hotel listed as a National Historic Site ,'' suffered the same fate as many other single-screen film
venues. Successful for a quarter-century, most suffered after television arrived in many American
households in the 1950s. The advent of multiplex See multiplexing. Â theaters a few decades later
sealed their doom.
The High Street theater street theater
n.

3. Dramatization of social and political issues, usually enacted outside, as on the street or in a park.
Also called guerrilla theater.
Noun 1. Â has gone through several incarnations since then - housing everything from a church to a
thrift store.
In 1983, the venue reopened as the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama & Vaudeville
vaudeville (vôd`v?l), originally a light song, derived from the drinking and love songs formerly
attributed to Olivier Basselin and called Vau, or Vaux, de Vire. Â Co., blending classic melodrama
with rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll:Â see rock music. Â music. It changed ownership in 1986, and that
owner filed for bankruptcy in 1999.
Janss bought the theater out of foreclosure foreclosure
Legal proceeding by which a borrower's rights to a mortgaged property may be extinguished if the
borrower fails to live up to the obligations agreed to in the loan contract. Â in August 2001 for
$275,000. He reopened it in early 2003 with much fanfare, promising entertainment that would be
``a little off the wall and highly eclectic, and they will come away dazzled daz·zle Â
v. daz·zled, daz·zling, daz·zles
v.tr.
1. To dim the vision of, especially to blind with intense light.
2. .''
But Janss said his dream hasn't materialized. A series of 1960s rock acts and stage shows have
generated only moderate interest, and a partnership with the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills earlier
this year fizzled almost immediately, he said.
It was a big blow to Janss, whose great-grandfather bought large tracts of Southern California
Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of
California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to
nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, Â land for 50 cents an
acre in the late 19th century, and whose grandfather and father developed much of Westwood and
the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley
Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San
Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. .
Instead of following in their footsteps, Janss said he used his legacy to foster his interest in the
environment, the arts, and social issues.
The former owner of a Venice Beach movie theater and a documentary filmmaker, Janss said his life
was transformed during a six-month trip to Chile in 1970, where he learned valuable lessons about
poverty and social inequity.
Janss' own development ventures involve renovating existing buildings that don't disrupt ``virgin
soil,' he said.

4. The theater's lack of success has been a letdown letdown
1. the sudden flush of milk flow that occurs when the calf begins to suck or when milking
commences in a properly prepared cow. Depends for its occurrence on the release of oxytocin from
the pituitary gland in response to massage of the teats and udder. Â to city officials, because it is
located within Moorpark's redevelopment zone.
``I'm disappointed that he apparently hasn't made a go of it,'' Harper said. ``With his background in
the theater, I thought Larry Janss could make it work if anyone could.''
But Janss said he no longer has the time or funds to make the theater a success. He's devoting his
resources to his effort to relocate the tall ship Tole Mour The SSV Tole Mour is a
156 ft (48 m) schooner and sail training vessel operating in the Channel Islands of California,
off the West Coast of the United States.
Built by the Nichols Bros. Â to Ventura County for educational trips to the Channel Islands.
``As a one-man entrepreneur running a theater, I needed someone who was me 30 years ago, with a
lot of spunk and vinegar,'' Janss said. ``I ran out of steam and I ran out of money.''
Andrea Cavanaugh, (805) 583-7602
andrea.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com
A STORIED VENUE: --Theater on Moorpark's High Street for sale again. Opened in 1928 as the El
Rancho, it was one of the first cinemas built in Ventura County.
--From 1934 to 1952, it was owned by Lorine Willard, who made it the social focal point focal point
n.
See focus. Â of Moorpark.
--In the 1950s, as more movie theaters sprouted up and television kept patrons home, the theater
was opened to the community for stage productions.
--Over the next three decades, the building housed a Spanish-language movie theater, an evangelical
ministry, a furniture store and a theatrical group call The Horizon Players.
--In 1983, it was bought by Kirk Aikens, who turned it into the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama
and Vaudeville Co.
--In 1986, Linda Bredemann and her husband, Harvey, bought the playhouse.
--In 1997, after the death of her husband, Bredemann leased it to another couple and the deal
soured.
--In 1999, Bredemann filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
--In 2001, Larry Janss bought the theater and reopened it in early 2003 as the Theater on High
Street. Moorpark's redevelopment agency loaned Janss $750,000 to help renovate the theater. He

5. spent more than 1 1/2 years and $900,000 of his own money to restore it.
--In July, Janss put the theater up for sale.
CAPTION(S):
photo, box
Photo:
(color) Owner Larry Janss, shown in a photo taken in January, wants to sell the renovated Theater on
High Street. Janss spent $900,000 of his own money and $750,000 in loans on the project.
Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News
Box:
A STORIED VENUE (see text)
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