Did you know that in April 1994 the Pasadena High School Little Theater was renamed the Abel Franco Theater and dedicated to Mr. Abel Franco? Abel Franco left a lasting impression on his students and all those who worked with him.
After World War II, Abel Franco received his BA from Woodbury University. After receiving his degree he took off to discover his roots in Mexico City where he attended and eventually taught at the University of the Americas and Mexico City College. He debuted in The Little Foxes at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, won awards for painting and studied art with Rufino Tamayo. Television was just starting, and Abel came home to work in I Love Lucy, Death Valley Days, and many of the new shows. While waiting for his big break, he earned his teaching credential and began substitute teaching. By popular demand, he was hired full time when an opening occurred at Pasadena High School (PHS). Just as the new campus in east Pasadena began, Abel began teaching at PHS.
With enormous enthusiasm, he led speech students to victory in his first semester’s tournaments. This was the pattern repeated in drama tournaments for the next two decades. His first as well as his final mainstage show were productions of Teahouse of the August Moon. In between, he and “Franco’s Kids” did Taming of the Shrew, Beauty and the Beast, Dracula, West Side Story, The Fantastiks, Waiting for Godot, and hundreds of other shows. During vacations, he did TV and movies. All year long he was a mentor and champion of students’ rights.
Over the years, he taught at USC, wrote plays, and won an Emmy for writing Cancion de la Raza. His play Juan Corazon has been performed internationally. Offered full-time positions in universities, he turned them down to stay with the kids who needed him. At PHS he sponsored MECHA and remained a role model, motivating students of many different backgrounds and ethnicities. There is no place that he went where he was not recognized (usually by a former student). Performing in Zoot Suit in Los Angeles, New York, and the film, plus a stunning role in El Norte, increased his public recognition. Then a whole new generation of children met him in Three Amigos!
Abel retired from PHS in 1987, after twenty-eight years with the Pasadena Unified School District. During retirement he led many workshops, completed writing projects and served for many years as an Arts Commissioner for the City of Pasadena. Abel Franco passed away in June of 2000 at the age of 77.