Our Historic Venue

THE HAYWORTH BUILDING

The Hayworth building has been a creative hub for close to a century.

The building was designed in 1927 by the prominent L.A. architect Stiles O. Clements of the firm Morgan, Walls & Clements, who also famously developed on the Wiltern Theatre in Koreatown, and the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

In one of its early incarnations, the Hayworth was known as the Masque Theater, a live-performance venue where actress Eva Gabor famously headlined the production of a play titled "Candle-Light”. In 1950s the building was renovated by architect Dwight Gibbs and became the Vagabond, and was known as one of LA’s premiere revival movie houses. During this period, the building was home to one of Los Angeles' first Tiki Bars,  The Vagabond’s House, a gorgeous and opulent tropical nightclub that was a favorite rendezvous of Hollywood stars and celebrities.

The history of the Hayworth also extends next door, as it is adjacent to La Fonda de Los Camperos. Opened in 1969 by famed mariachi musician Nati Cano as a home for his group, Los Camperos. The first-of-its-kind mariachi dinner theater, it soon became a staple of LA culture. For nearly 40 years, La Fonda has been a focal point of Los Angeles' Mexican-American community and an internationally renowned landmark.

In 1983, the theatre was restored by the Rita Hayworth Theatre Company, who renamed the space based around a legend it was once housed a dance studio for the family of actress Rita Hayworth. It was during this period that the city of  Los Angeles designated the building as a historic cultural landmark.  In the 90s + Early 2000s, the space became home to award winning theatre companies such as Circus Theatricals,  Whitmore Eclectic,  The New American Theatre company.  It was during this period that the theatre premiered several plays produced by Academy-Award-nominated director Paul Mazursky. 

The Hayworth Theatre has also played the setting for several Hollywood Films — Everything from comedy hits like The Naked Gun to Oscar fare such as La La Land,  where it served as the theatre where Emma Stone's character staged her one-woman play, So Long Boulder City. 

In 2013, the  building was purchased by TV writer Jenji Kohan, the creator of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and Showtime's "Weeds." Along with her partner Christopher Noxon, the two began the process of renovating and restoring the gorgeous space to its original glory, taking great care to meticulously renovate the beautiful art deco interior. 

In 2014, comedians and producers Vanessa Ragland + Jamie Flam began producing events in the venue, launching with a benefit for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society with the help of entertainers like Bob Odenkirk, Garfunkel + Oates, and many more. The duo fell in love with the space sparking an infatuation that eventually led to the launch of Dynasty Typewriter, which was made possible through the support of a massively successful Kickstarter Campaign.

Over the past century, Hayworth Theatre has shown itself to be both a gem of a space and a conduit for creativity and entertainment. Dynasty is honored to be a part of this historic building’s legacy.