Tantamount Theater
Tantamount Theater was a puppet theatre for children and their families located in Carmel Valley, California. François Joseph Martin built and owned the theater. Within Carmel Valley, the theater stood as the only establishment where puppet performances became a regular occurrence.
History
Barn Theater
Jeanne D'Orge encouraged Martin and Ralph Geddis to move to Carmel Valley and build a theater which she helped them to build.In 1956, Martin and Geddis purchased the stable and horse barn owned Frank De Amaral, situated upon the former grounds of the Muriel Vanderbilt Estate ranch on Middle Canyon Road, Carmel Valley. The barn that was previously used as a meeting space by Carmel Valley Fire Department volunteers was converted into the Barn Theater.
Tantamount Theater
After three years of construction, Tantamount Theater opened in June 1960 with a 144-seat theater. It was described as "the most handsome auditorium I have seen on the West Coast" by the critic Stanley Eichelbaum.Early productions included Alice in Wonderland, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as original productions written by Martin.
The theater also showed classic films, although it was best known for its puppet shows.