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D ave Dunning has his finger prints up and down the state. Dunning is the founder and president of Legend Theatrical, a Scotts Valley company that has worked with some of the biggest names in California. Their handiwork can be seen on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge where they worked to install the structure's lighting. They've worked with the likes of the San Francisco Giants on various projects and even had a hand in the O'Neil Coldwater Clas- sic surf event. It's tough to pin down what his company specializes in because the work is broad. One month the company is working to build sets for stage productions and the next they're focused on designing a theater for a university. Dunning likes to say his work is at the in- tersection of entertain- ment and architecture: Archi-tainment he says, making up a word. "It's architectural ap- plication of things that have an entertainment aspect," he said. Dunning founded Legend Theatrical in 1996 and opened shop in San Jose. The early years were tough and Dunning kept opera- tions slim while build- ing the company. In the early 2000s, he moved operations to a 1,400-square-foot space in Santa Cruz. That place was short- lived as operations outgrew the space by 2006, pushing the company into a 9,000-square-foot space in Scotts Val- ley. But the space was still too small for the growing work and they moved offices again. The office, workshop and warehouse op- erations are now in a 24,000-square-foot space off Old El Pueb- lo Road in an industrial part of Scotts Valley. The front office facade belies the magic hidden in the back. Hidden behind the meeting room, assis- tant's desk and offices is a warehouse space home to hundreds of feet of cable, rows of disco balls and large cases to house equip- ment. Against one wall are shelves stacked three floors high, bulg- ing with equipment. In one wing of the shop, workers meticu- lously built a stage for the San Francisco- based Opera Parallèle, a nonprofit theater company. The organi- zation tapped Legend Theatrical to build a set for their upcoming show, "Flight," a story set inside an airport terminal. Inside the workshop was a set of stairs that led up to a platform with wooden facades attached. The move from San Jose to Santa Cruz County also came in part because Dunning tired of the commute over Highway 17 from his Santa Cruz County home. Finding work isn't tough for the company but, since most of his potential clients live over the hill, it isn't ideal being in Santa Cruz County. Despite that, the benefits of not commuting far on a regular basis and liv- ing hidden in the trees carry a lot of weight. "Being that I live here and love the area, love being in Santa Cruz County, we don't want to move," he said. In the past, the com- pany has been tapped to build the view- ing platforms for the O'Neil Coldwater Clas- sic. He recalls one year when event organizers tasked him with string- ing a wire from two Scotts Valley business with Legend Theatrical Photo Shmuel thaler - Santa Cruz Sentinel Community continues on next page... Dave Dunning has created a thriving Scotts Valley business with Legend Theatrical Award-winning Knox Roofing is more than just a roofing company Home of the Knox Garden Box! 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