Antioch Tutors Come To You

Antioch, a city first established during the gold rush, never actually produced gold—unlike many of its neighboring communities. Antioch produced something else: copper. The copper mining industry, short-lived but important, benefited greatly from the inception of Antioch in the nineteenth century. Ever since, people have found this city in the East Bay a charming place to settle. It has steadily grown in population ever since its founding, with an ample outdoor recreation scene, as well as a thriving culture of theater and art.

One of the best symbols of Antioch’s community values is the El Campanil Theater, located in the city’s downtown. Built in 1928, the Campanil is an example of Spanish Colonial architecture, with elements of Spanish Gothic revival style. Its façade, made of stucco with red trim, is an iconic representation of California mission style imagery that occurs in architecture from the state’s southern border all the way up to Oregon. The auditorium still has its original ornate painting and Moorish chandeliers and wall sconces, and its dressing rooms are adorned with hundreds of autographs that date back to the theater’s opening.

Many famous vaudeville and early movie performers came to the Campanil, including Roy Rogers, Mary Pickford, Sally Rand, and Donald O’Connor. Walking through its doors is akin to walking back in time, with much of its original glory still intact. This, however, has not always been the case for the Campanil.

After several decades of use, the Campanil fell into disrepair, as many old buildings in California do when new construction comes into a city and garners residents’ time and money. After briefly serving as a local church, the Campanil was purchased in 2003 by the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation. This foundation was comprised of a small group of local citizens who banded together to petition the city to find a way to acquire and restore El Campanil, and to convert its use to one supportive of the Rivertown Renaissance plan. The Renaissance plan was put into place to revamp and renovate Antioch’s downtown. El Campanil was a lucky recipient of this treatment, and by 2004, the theater was reopened to function as a community playhouse.

Without people coming together to work together toward a common goal, Antioch’s theater likely would still be in disrepair, unrestored to its former glory. Its story is an example of what happens when citizens perceive and address a need to improve the world around them. Like the Theater Preservation Foundation, tutors in Antioch go out of their way to address the individual needs of the clients they serve. They are trained, caring, and patient with the struggling students who come to them needing to turn their grades around. Like the case of the theater, tutors are there to help students procure the success they so deserve and desire.