Former El Campanil Theatre leader asks church to reconsider purchase
And for City to be ready to step in
September 10, 2026
To the Editor:
As the founding executive director of the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation, I feel compelled to speak now — not only because I started this venture, but because this is the critical moment when the Theatre’s future will be decided.
The El Campanil opened in 1928 as a vaudeville house and later operated as a church before our foundation acquired it in 2003. Restoring it to working order required more than a million dollars. Since then, it has hosted community events and major stage acts, and it has remained open to the public throughout.
In 2023, after COVID wiped out major funding, the theatre nearly went bankrupt. We honored the right of first refusal we had given the city, but the city took no action. We then accepted a bid from an out-of-state investor, and the foundation stayed on as tenant.
Now, facing closure again in 2026, the property owner listed the building. A church has made an offer, but that congregation expects to outgrow it and faces serious parking problems. Meanwhile, the city holds roughly seven million dollars earmarked for acquiring community-beneficial buildings.
We ask the church to reconsider its offer, and we ask the City to be ready to step in the moment the church finds a better fit — so this Theatre can keep serving Antioch for generations to come.
Rick Carraher
Former Executive Director
El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation
