Theatre Brats
The Life and Times of a
Plucky Little Drama Festival
written by
Laura Paxson & Escott O. Norton
A new book on the history of the
Occidental College Summer Drama Festival
in Los Angeles, California.
The Life and Times of a
Plucky Little Drama Festival
written by
Laura Paxson & Escott O. Norton
A new book on the history of the
Occidental College Summer Drama Festival
in Los Angeles, California.
Once upon a time, in 1960, our parents launched the Occidental College Summer Theatre on a giant leap of faith. They were fueled by the belief in the transformative power of theatre and the conviction that hard work could accomplish anything. As two shy, awkward kids, we had the run of rehearsal halls, costume and scene shops, and a majestic performance space under towering eucalyptus trees. Our parents sent us on stage when we were barely out of diapers. We operated power tools with little training, climbed too high on lighting towers, and routinely stayed up past midnight.
Ours was a world of optimism where every problem had a solution. America felt young and full of possibility. Our parents were young and dreaming big. Their goal: to offer an educational experience for Occidental students by providing the greater community with excellent productions. And to break even. Our parents weren’t sure the dream would survive one season, let alone endure four decades.
We were lucky Theatre Brats because our parents gave us a stage for our playground where life’s possibilities seemed as infinite as our imaginations. But this story also belongs to the sprawling community of more than a thousand young people who came together with creativity and sweat over forty summers to pursue a common goal they knew was good, even ennobling.
We were spoiled—and transformed—lucky Theatre Brats all.
We plan to publish Theatre Brats in Fall of 2026.
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Laura Paxson
Laura Paxson was three years old when the Occidental College Summer Drama Festival began and theatre was the heartbeat of the Paxson household during her formative years and beyond. She graduated from dancer to featured roles, to tech assistant and, eventually, she directed. After graduating from Reed College and a two years in the Peace Corps, she became a high school history teacher in Oregon. She currently lives on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington.
Escott O. Norton
Escott O. Norton was born just after the 3rd season of Occidental College Summer Drama Festival. Almost every summer of his young life he was active in Summer Theatre, primarily building sets and doing props, with an occasional appearance on stage if they needed a boy of his age. Escott is an active preservation advocate in the Los Angeles area, focusing on historic theatres. In addition to designing homes like his father, he is a design consultant for historic theatres and neon marquees.
Three Who Dreamed
Omar Paxson
Sally Norton
John Ingle
More than 12,000 photos were taken over the nearly four decades of Summer Theatre, the vast majority were taken by Josie Dapar, with some photos taken by Will Moffitt, Escott Norton, and others. Over the last decade many Summer Theatre alums have worked together to catalog this incredible photographic resource, now housed in the Special Collections Dept at the OXY Library.
THEATRE BRATS will feature over 100 of these photos!
© 2026 Theatre Brats Book. All rights reserved.
