LOCAL UNSUNG HERO DAVID AUSTIN GIFTS US WITH STAGE 52 AND PROVIDES THE COMFORT OF BED AND BREAKFAST AT HIS SECRET GARDEN

David Austin, by all reason is a certified genius, kind-hearted mad-man, strewn together through a series of creative forces. He is the founder of Stage 52 Theater and co-owner of the Secret Garden Bed and Breakfast located at 8039 Selma Avenue in Los Angeles, CA, 90046, 323-656-8111, you can ask for Innkeeper, Sylvester Butler, Jr.

David Austin’s history surpasses normal, and leads inquiring minds into a deeper understanding of his lifelong underlying motives which led to his success and achievement. His popular book of poetry, “Is Pride A Man” clearly express the profundity of the life of an unsung hero, David Austin. Like all good men, David’s life began with Momma and his birthplace of Bend, Oregon. After Momma ran off with Elmer, David’s step-dad, David’s biological father dropped David, and his siblings off at different Catholic Parochial Schools all over the state of Oregon. Momma had eleven birth children, including the ones that died and then she and Elmer had two more. David would come to know through his many trials, tribulations and successes the meaning of disappointment, love and standing up for what one believes in. David and one of six sisters, Hazel were in the same parochial school without knowing it, once they found out about each other, they became extremely close. Elmer intrigued Momma because of his Northern Swedish-Norwegian strong man carnival act accent, and he liked Momma because she had so many kids. Both Momma and Elmer had been doing vaudeville acts between movies whenever possible in either Corvallis or Portland, Oregon. After, David’s-brother Buddy wrangled one of Momma’s favorite Bantam Rooster’s necks, David was blamed and got a good alder switch beating from Elmer. David and sister, Hazel agreed that David had to go and so, at age ten, David Austin was already in many ways, an adult. Born on March 30, like most Aries, ruled astrologically by the symbol of a Ram, head first and without hesitation, David took his first risk, leaving his family behind in Oregon and hitchhiked from Toledo to New Orleans. In New Orleans, he would become familiar with the life of the red-lit streets and hobos. He would learn that the only way to survive was to watch, listen, and do all that you could to stay, healthy and alive.  

While pursuing the goal of, “whatever work he could find,” David found a friend in Taylor of whom he made acquaintance in the local Orleans jail. David went to jail for simply, asking a few of the local blacks where he could find money, food and lodging. With no idea of how or why  talking to a black person would be an offense, he quickly learned that in the streets, all was not fair in love and war, and hanging out with certain folk could get one into a whole heap of trouble. Making home  within the confines of stench stained garbage, shredded tires, disposed waste and scarce fields of bleached colored brush, the two became quick acquaintances and David found out how to survive in bars, clubs and keep mixed company. Soon the two cleaned and mopped concrete floors, used old curtains for rags, made tables out of wood slabs, made crated bench look a-likes, cleaned tin cans and adapted to a washed down old wood stove, that lived in house with a white spotted porcelain tea kettle. David came to understand how humanity laid out in raw open air, merged with nature if only for a night could live in such a place Taylor called, “Hobo Jungle.” Hobo Jungle was a built in marketing phenomena, a community that could always use a heaping hot bowl of rice and tomato laced, string bean,  beef bone stew. Even as a kid David liked to sketch using a favorite teacher for a model, he was slated for trouble for having a one on one mumbling session with a teacher, who said that his sketching had too much red in it. This time in the haze of cigarette butts, urine, trash, and char, in old abandoned crates, David found old sketchpads pens and pencils along with sharpeners and stencils. Men and women figures and stenciled Navy and Army cap cutouts. Drawing sketches became an outlet for David while Taylor made nice with local businessmen. With a personal tour guide, namely Taylor, David saw the beautiful museums, took trips to the graveyard, and received verbal instructions on how the city was built over swamps in order for the ground to steadfastly hold crypts. A favorite of all new city visitors, one could always travel up the Mississippi via the River Queen. Taylor helped David get a front row seat around the French Quarters as a street artist who sketched. By the end of the night, David had earned $2500.00. After New Orleans and true to the likeness of the tales of Gulliver’s Travels,” his softened handsome face and inquisitive blue eyes saw, the coast of California at Santa Cruz, Chicago, Miami, and St. Louis. He even allowed himself the sanctity of a brief stay at a boy’s school in Eldora. Surrounded by a truck top trimmed halo of sky, Wyoming and San Francisco, along with the other toured cities, soon made up the tightly woven threads of memories that the young man would stock away, for safekeeping. After returning to Toledo, Oregon, David managed to enlist in the Army for a brief period ending up at Fort Roberts Boot camp. During a target, practice four young men were shot to death when riffle sights had been fired incorrectly from the returning fire. David quickly left the Army and headed to Long Beach where his sister, Uffa and her 24 year old boyfriend lived. In Long Beach, he met John and Verna Stavish. This meeting would lead David into managing carnivals and sideshows. Somehow, Gypsies managed to start a fire and David’s long standing carnival burned down. David owed John Stavish, $500.00 and soon found himself once again, looking for work. David met his first wife Mary while working at a tubercular sanitarium in Redwood City, California. Bound by their intellectual and emotional compatibility, they immediately fell in love. After getting to know more about Mary, much to David’s surprise, Mary pulled out sketches of the inner work circle at the sanitarium, the receptionist, gardeners, nurses, and doctors. Mary gained strength after a bout with TB and eventually left the sanitarium. Soon afterwards, Mary and David decided to announce their getting married to Daisy and Hector, Mary’s mom and stepfather. Mary, an artist in her own right, begins to sell sketches and their lives flourish both spiritually and monetarily. Joy is short lived as Mary’s doctor tells David that, the drug given for TB at the sanitarium is not full proof and that Mary runs a high risk of dying. Mary determined to keep a cheerful and happy spirit, throws herself into singing and performing for O’Rourke’s a local San Francisco, nightclub. Popularity ensues as the club sells out on Mary’s weekly performances. Due to Mary’s frail health, she eventually passes away. David begins to drink frequently at O’Rourke’s, a strong haven for gays. David feels free amongst African-Americans and gays, and starts to plan his next move.

Again, David Austin, true to his nature, becomes a citizen of the free world and with the support of a friend heads out for Los Angeles to continue on his path to self-discovery. David enters a dance marathon at the Arthur Murray Studio managed by the owner, Herb Richards, and wins. This winning proves to be a break in David’s career and he receives $10,000, the largest check ever made out to the studio. David, tall, tan, and as handsome as ever becomes an overnight sensation and the headman in charge for marketing and promotion of the popular dance studio In Los Angeles David begins to meet a small circle of local yet influential people in Hollywood. Steve Boyden, the Arthur Murray Franchise owner, and based on strong references from Herb Richards, gives David a position at the Murray studio.

While settling into LA and through a series of interesting circumstances, David claims ownership of a few properties around town and embarks upon a long-term career in real estate. Although David continues to develop his real estate selling skills, the memories of talent, management and performance under the roof of Arthur Murray still haunts him.

After many years of planning and saving, David formed a partnership with actor, and manager of “Stage 52”adopted son, Thomas Lord Duckett, and the rest as they say, is history. This article is taken from a four-part biography entitled, “The Greeks Had a Word for It,” which gives a true account of David Austin’s life. Stage 52 is located at 5299 West Washington Blvd in Los Angeles, CA 90016. 323-356-8893.