Redwood starts the new school year off with the L.J. Theater closed down for an abatement.
By: Ella Cain, Peyton Comer
L.J. Williams Theater, located on West Main Street, has been closed since mid-August for hazardous material abatement, with plans to reopen this October.
Since August 10th, 2026, the beloved L.J. Williams Theater has been blocked off and closed to the public.
The reason for its closure is that during an inspection of the theater, a hazardous material, now identified as asbestos, was found in many of the walls and ceilings.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral made from tiny, flexible, heat-resistant fibers.
Since the L.J. Williams Theater was built in 1931, it contained asbestos. This is because, back when it was built, asbestos was a common construction material used for fireproofing and insulation.
In 1942, asbestos was found to be a leading cause of cancer and eventually stopped being used in buildings.
Other than cancer, asbestos-containing materials are known to cause chronic inflammation and permanent scarring of the lungs.
Although asbestos is highly dangerous, Dr. Gridiron, Redwood High School’s principal, said, “No one has been harmed…that’s the great thing…making sure…things are brought to our attention.”
Because the asbestos was caught before it could harm anyone, no one has been reported affected by it.
Before the inspection, no one was aware that the LJ Williams Theater contained asbestos throughout the building.
Since learning about the asbestos, the District team and Redwood’s maintenance team have been removing the contaminated materials.
Skye Sila, ‘30, a drama 1 student, said, “I think it’s better that they’re, like, taking it serious and making sure it’s all out before they let people in”
Skye feels comforted by the fact that so many safety precautions are being taken to keep students, teachers, staff, and other civilians safe.
The process they are using to remove the asbestos is called abatement.
Dr.Gridiron said, “That’s when they begin to go through the process of making sure that it’s functional and safe to be in.”
An abatement is not a renovation.
The L.J. is being stripped of all hazardous materials that are in the building.
The abatement started on August 10th and is scheduled to finish by October 12th.
The abatement will not affect any performing arts or performances at the L.J. Williams Theater.
Ella Cain
Ella Cain '30 is a writer for Redwood Gigantea arts and entertainment section. She loves writing about the performing arts going on at Redwood.
Peyton Comer
Peyton comer is. With class 2030 she love to write about arts and entertainment, sports this is her first year in journalism
Tags: arts & entertainment, LJ Williams Theater, redwood high school, safety, visalia
