Laguna’s Pageant of the Masters is 90 Years Old

Laguna’s Pageant of the Masters is 90 Years Old
A tableaux of vintage travel posters opened the 2022 Pageant of the Masters theatrical travelogue, “Wonderful World,” in Laguna Beach, California. Photo courtesy of Athena Lucero
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On a summer evening after attending an exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum, my artist daughter and I walked the serene streets of Laguna Village. A grace to this town stood out from the atmosphere of other Southern California beach towns: art galleries on just about every block, a 1923 Craftsman home turned popular dining spot and down the street romantic Hotel Laguna on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. During its heyday, Hollywood stars escaped to this once-secluded arts colony.

Then we approached the Irvine Bowl amphitheater on Laguna Canyon Road. The woodsy open-air venue is home to world-famous Pageant of the Masters, the mesmerizing, internationally renowned performance and visual arts production of tableaux vivant (French for living pictures), the ancient art form of people imitating art.