About this item
The Crescenta Valley is a typical suburb of the metropolis of Los Angeles, containing residential neighborhoods nestled in chaparral-covered hills. But hidden in these typical neighborhoods are remnants of an atypical past, a past made up of Hollywood legends, Prohibition-era bootleggers, and pioneers in women's rights. Crescenta Valley History: Hidden in Plain Sight tells the stories behind six places in the community that residents pass by every day, with no idea of the amazing events that took place there--six innocuous locations with impressive histories.A little shack behind an apartment that was once the home of John Steinbeck; the overgrown ruins of a former speakeasy; an abandoned sanitarium that once housed aging Hollywood stars, and now houses their ghosts; a mystical religious sanctuary run entirely by women; a former resort and Olympic training site buried deep under a suburban shopping mall; and a park created by professional baseball players and movie stars.
About the Author
Mike Lawler is a writer and theater artist. He holds an undergraduate degree from Western Oregon University in Theatre Arts where he emphasized in technical theater. He spent many years as a technician in regional (and smaller) theaters throughout the United States. His first book, Careers in Technical Theater, was published in 2007 and is available from Allworth Press. He has also published articles on the theater in Dramatics, Stage Directions, DramaBiz, and American Theatre, among others. Mike is a founding member and producing artistic director of Wisconsin Story Project. He is also internationally recognized for his writing and research in the area of environmentally conscious theater production and has been writing on the subject for his blog ecoTheater, as well as in print, since 2006. He is currently the production manager for Children's Theater of Madison. For more on Mike and his work, go to www.mikelawler.com
