If you’re a patron of the arts in the Coachella Valley, chances are you are quite familiar with the Palm Springs Cultural Center—located in the building formerly known as the Camelot Theatres. You’ve likely attended a play, film or musical performance there, or perhaps you purchased some fresh produce at the weekly farmers’ market.
The man behind all of this activity is the center’s executive director, Michael Green. A resident of Palm Springs, Green was born in the tiny town of Swannanoa, near Asheville, N.C. The town was so small that there was only one exit off Interstate 40, Green noted.
He is a third-generation “only child,” but his father was determined that he not be raised like one. Cousins and neighborhood kids gave Green plenty of playmates, so he never felt alone. Green showed a creative bent early on. He did a lot of writing, acting and singing as a youngster, which was fully supported by his mother, whose own family had been quite musical.
After graduating from Wake Forest University with a double-major in English and theology, and a minor in philosophy, Green planned to go to seminary school in Atlanta to pursue pastoral care as a career—but both insufficient scholarship funds and his decision to come out as gay changed all that.
With some creative-writing classes under his belt, and armed with a small writing portfolio, Green pitched himself as a copywriter to local ad agencies. He started out as a jack of all trades, doing typesetting, proofreading and so on. Eventually, he became the third of three partners in a small ad agency. That gig lasted 20 years, and along the way, he met his husband, Stephen Boyd.
After a while, the pair decided that the pressure of the advertising biz was just too much. “It eats its own,” Green said.
Their world travels and stays at many small, quaint hotels inspired them to buy their own small hotel. After a nine-year search, they decided the midcentury-modern Triangle Inn in Palm Springs was perfect. They purchased it in 2000, and for a few years, Green, traveled back and forth from the desert to Atlanta as he shut down his ad agency.
Though the hotel—a clothing-optional resort for gay men—was thriving, Green and his husband both yearned for something a bit more creatively fulfilling. Green met Rozene Supple, the owner of the Camelot Theatres, at a tourism advisory-board meeting. In 2007, the Supples formed the nonprofit Palm Springs Cultural Center, and Green came on board to take care of marketing. After a series of executive directors did not work out, the Supples offered Green the position in 2010; he accepted.
Both Ric and Rozene Supple have since passed away, and Green has done his best to carry out the vision they had for the Cultural Center, which was to make it a true multicultural entertainment resource for the city.
“I started out just wanting to do a little freelance work to entertain myself—and look what happened!” he said. “I listened to the Supples talk about their vision a lot. I kind of got hooked on the idea that a place like the Cultural Center could exist.”
In January 2018, the building was re-dedicated as the Palm Springs Cultural Center. Programs with live theater and live music began; momentum was building … and then came March 2020, and the COVID-19-caused shutdowns. The only events that could safely continue at the Cultural Center were the outdoors farmers’ market, and later drive-in movies in the north-side parking lot.
Coyote Stageworks, the renowned theater company which had just moved into the building’s Theatre 3, was about to open its second production there when the coronavirus reared its ugly head. By the time things opened up again, Coyote Stageworks had gone out of business, so when Desert Ensemble Theatre Company approached Green about taking over Theatre 3, he readily agreed. The space is now booked solid from October to May.
“The Supples gave us the building, which is great, but they did not leave an endowment, so we’ve got to search for funds on our own. There are a lot of expenses involved in operating a building of this size.”
Palm springs Cultural Center Executive Director Michael Green
The other piece of the puzzle at the Cultural Center is live music. (Full disclosure: I’ve performed at the Cultural Center multiple times.) Shows range from intimate performances in the second-floor lounge to events in the 500-seat Theatre 1, with musical styles ranging from jazz to Broadway, pop, folk, blues and gospel. While touring acts at times perform at the Cultural Center, Green said he’s determined to keep the focus on local performers.
Raising funds continues to be a challenge for the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
“The Supples gave us the building, which is great, but they did not leave an endowment, so we’ve got to search for funds on our own,” Green said. “There are a lot of expenses involved in operating a building of this size.”
The center does have a full-time grant writer, and several sponsorships, including one from the city of Palm Springs. Giving back to the community is important to Green, so he frequently offers free space at the center to local groups for meetings and lectures. There’s a philanthropic aspect to the farmers’ market as well.
“We do a dollar-for-dollar match. If anyone with a WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program) or a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) card spends $20, we’ll give them another $20 worth of food,” Green said. “That’s important, because often, these low-income families can’t afford the healthy, fresh produce we offer.” If participating vendors leave food after the market, the center donates it to one of the local food banks.
Green says he’s seen a lot of change in the desert. “We’ve seen a blossoming of the hotel industry, and it’s amazing how many restaurants are here now,” he said. “Also … it was hard to find theater or music. Now, it’s everywhere.”
Green said Palm Springs is one of the friendliest places he’s ever lived. “It’s like a little home town. I love the fact that when you walk around downtown, people see people they know. Everyone waves and says hi, and I find that just amazing. It’s a very special place.”
He said he loves what’s become his “second career.”
“I get so excited when I come in here and there are four or five events going on at the same time—there’s music upstairs, and something going on in all three theaters,” he said. “That gives me so much energy.”
Green’s bucket list includes slowing down a bit and traveling more with his husband Stephen, and perhaps finally writing the novel he’s had in his head for years. But for now, he’s happy at the Cultural Center.
“I get frustrated sitting in meetings where all people talk about are the reasons something can’t happen. My view is, just say ‘yes,’ and see if you can make it happen,” he said. “My mantra is ‘tikkun olam,’ a Jewish phrase which means ‘fix the world.’ If we as human beings, even in a small way, could fix the world and leave it better than we found it, then we’ve accomplished something.”
For more information about the Palm Springs Cultural Center, visit www.psculturalcenter.org.
Bonnie Gilgallon hosts a weekly podcast called The Desert Scene, available at radio111.com/the-desert-scene.html. She also writes theater reviews for the Independent. Email her at bonniegnews@gmail.com.
