The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake severely damaged the main building on the Watsonville High School, designed by noted architect W. H. Weeks in 1917. This replacement structure houses similar facilities, including a theater, classrooms and administrative offices, but in larger spaces due to current needs. The key design challenge is to accommodate all these facilities on the same footprint, while keeping the building’s exterior consistent with the original Spanish-Moorish style.

The new theater has more than 900 seats, located on both orchestra and balcony levels. The stage has a modified fly loft to avoid exceeding the height of the old building. Tall arch windows, replicating those in the old building, are required on the street side, which conflicts with the theater’s needs for total lighting control. The solution involves inserting a narrow corridor in between the theater and the street, which also provides ADA access to the stage and helps isolate street noise.

Facing the street corner, the main entrance leads to both the theater and administrative offices. Classrooms wrap around a quiet, inner small courtyard on both levels.