Party Time in NoHo

I read your article “The Price Is Right for This Festival” (Theater Notes, April 25), which refers to the L.A. Theatre Festival forming due to the “limited visibility” of the NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival and its having “split focus.” As executive director of the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which has produced the NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival for seven years, I can assure you our visibility is anything but limited.

The NoHo Theatre & Arts Festival was created to show Southern California and the world that the arts are alive and well and thriving in North Hollywood. Last year, we brought tens of thousands of visitors from San Diego to Santa Barbara to the festival, and we expect to attract tens of thousands of visitors this year, June 12-13.

One of the reasons they’ll be coming is simple: We offer an abundance of free theater performances! Eighty free performances, to be exact, including comedies, musicals, dramas, classics and children’s shows.

As for having “split focus,” let’s look at the bigger picture. The NoHo Arts District is made up of different parts. While live theater is a major element of our evolving community, it is not the only one. We have restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries and artists-in-residence, gift retailers and numerous other shops and entertainment in North Hollywood. Our festival promotes the NoHo area in its totality for the benefit of the community.

For example, visitors to a free theater performance will also be able to attend our “Taste of NoHo” and discover a great restaurant to visit when they return. That’s not split focus; that’s positive synergy.

IVY WEISS

Executive director

Universal City-North Hollywood

Chamber of Commerce