As Downtown’s building boom and historic revivals continue to creep onto the other side of the freeways, Westlake is set to see the opening of a new comedy venue.
The Hayworth Theatre, a 200-seat performance space on Wilshire Boulevard, will relaunch as comedy venue Dynasty Typewriter. The Dynasty will primarily host stand-up comedy alongside live podcasts, variety shows, screenings, speaker series and concerts. Jamie Flam, formerly of the Hollywood Improv, will be at the helm of the Dynasty’s programming.
The theater, which resides next to the lively La Fonda restaurant, first opened in 1926 as the Masque Theater, and would later become tiki bar Vagabond’s House as well as a revival movie house in the 1980s and ’90s. Orange is the New Black and Weeds creator Jenji Kohan and her husband and business partner Christopher Noxon notably bought the property in 2013 and renovated its second story into creative offices.
One-off shows at Dynasty Typewriter will begin later this year, with a grand opening planned for March 2018. In the meantime, the venue has mounted a Kickstarter that includes a membership program with access to secret shows.