New Malibu Arts Conservancy Looks to Include Agoura Talent

Local actors, performers and artists are coming together and perfecting their craft at the Malibu Playhouse Performing Arts Conservatory. And the conservatory is looking to Agoura to include its talent. 

"There is such a wealth of talent around here," said Rick Wasserman, a voice actor who moved to Malibu about a year ago and is at the helm of the conservatory. "... For Agoura, there's no reason why these people couldn’t spend a lovely day at the beach and take a class."

The conservatory is part of the revamped and renovated Malibu Playhouse, formerly known as the Malibu Stage Company, located at 29243 Pacific Coast Highway. 

Wasserman first got involved with what was then the Malibu Stage Co. after bumping into someone who was putting up a sign at Ralphs advertising an upcoming show. 

Gene Franklin Smith took over as artistic director in February, and immediately began to implement changes. With a new slate of board members, the organization revamped itself, gave itself a new name and remodeled the 99-seat theater. 

The conservatory is meant to provide an educational arm that will engage the Malibu and nearby communities, according to Wasserman. 

The classes range from improv, advanced techniques and musical theater to pilates for actors and master classes. 

"It’s quite a big jump," Wasserman said of the addition of the classes. "I’m sure we’ll go through some growing pains. What we need to do now is get the word out."

There's a cap of 12 people in each class to make sure everyone gets a chance to work, Wasserman said. The classes are in eight week cycles at a cost of $280. There's also private classes offered.

The main goal is to provide an arm out to neighbors to bring together the arts community.

"The bigger picture is we would like to see a performing arts center in Malibu that houses a number of venues," Wasserman said, adding that right now, it's just one step at a time. 

Learn more at http://malibuplayhouse.org/.