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Carco Theatre Upcoming Event Dates & Tickets
About this Venue
Carco Theatre was built in Cedar River Park in 1971 by the City of Renton with significant financial support from the Paccar (Pacific Car and Foundry Company) Foundation. In fact, Carco derives its name from Paccar. The original vision for the theatre was to “serve as a center for many community oriented projects from band concerts, dance programs, road shows, and performing arts presentations topublic meetings, lecture series. flower shows and community forums.” Except for the flower shows, the vision remains the same to this day.
Possibly the most interesting element of the theatre itself is its 3500sf stage with nearly as much floorspace thrust into the audience as there is behind the proscenium opening. This creates a versatile venue that allows for small, intimate performances to work just as well as grand productions with large casts and lots of movement. The space was also designed with such excellent acoustics that a polite conversation could be held between the stage and the back row without the need for amplification. The lighting equipment has been improved over the years from a few pars in two areas to a full complement of fixtures and electrics throughout the space.
