Berkeley Community Theatre

Berkeley Community Theatre is a theatre located in Berkeley, California, on the campus of Berkeley High School. The theater is used by Berkeley High School and the Berkeley Unified School District.

The theater building also holds the Florence Schwimley Little Theater, a smaller theater that is often used for Berkeley High School music and theater performances.

The Art Deco-style theater has 3,491 seats, including a balcony section. A large stage is extended by an orchestra pit that can be raised or lowered.

The theater was dedicated on June 5, 1950 after sitting only partially completed for almost nine years, due to delays caused by World War II. Students attending Berkeley High during the war years often called it the "Bird Cage" since the exposed metal framework was a roost for many seagulls waiting for students to finish their lunches.

The theater was designed to house a Theater organ, but one was not installed at the time of construction. In the 1980s, an organ was moved from the Paramount Theater in Toledo, Ohio and installed in the Berkeley Community Theater by the Nor-Cal Theater Organ Society. With 41 ranks (sets of pipes), and two fully functional 4-manual (four keyboards plus pedals) consoles, this Wurlitzer is one of the largest and finest in existence. The organ is maintained solely by the volunteer work of the Society. The "Mighty Wurlitzer" can be heard being played by world-renowned professional theatre organists during each concert season.

The theater is also the site where Metallica's S&M live album was recorded with the San Francisco Symphony, in 1999. In 1970, Jimi Hendrix and the Jimi Hendrix Experience played two shows, culminating in a posthumous album released in 2003.

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