clearance above the proscenium arch backstage, no more than four feet, so sets couldn't be "flown", they had to be struck for changes. Special twelve-foot flats were designed for the limited space, instead of the usual fourteen-feet. A set workshop and storage facility was built behind the Sombrero Playhouse during winter 1953–1954; prior to that sets were stored outdoors as there was no room backstage. A $15,000 rehearsal hall addition was built after the Sombrero's application for a liquor permit triggered a dispute with the nearby Silver Spur restaurant where casts had previously rehearsed. Just prior to the 1953 winter season, the theatre floor was remodeled to replace aisle steps with smooth concrete ramps. The entire playhouse complex had air-conditioning installed two months later. By 1959 the city limits of Phoenix had expanded to encompass the Sombrero Theatre, which was renovated and hooked up to city water and sewer lines. Acoustics remained a problem throughout the Sombrero's existence, one reason why so few musicals were booked there. Subscriptions From the second season subscription tickets were offered. Subscriptions carried with them membership in the Backstage Club, a small private lounge added onto the theater building in 1952. Subscriptions were available in blocks of ten performances, which could be used for any production. By 1959 the Sombrero had over a thousand subscribers, and by 1961 had nearly doubled that figure. Sidelines The Backstage Club was enlarged and redecorated in 1953 to include a buffet supper area and piano bar. It was expanded into a full-service restaurant and nightclub for the general public during February 1956. A drama school, the American Foundation for Theatre Arts was established during late 1958 at the Sombrero, with free tuition for up to ten apprentices. The Backstage Club's Galaxy room was used for original local art exhibits starting in 1959. During the 1960s this became a separate business enterprise called Galaxy Galleries. Apogee The Sombrero's reputation had grown with the Hollywood community, helped in part by the producers opening an office in the Los Angeles area. The New York Times ran a half-page article profiling the success of the producers in recruiting, not only for their own theater but also for Broadway productions that needed a name star in a hurry. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis watched ZaSu Pitts in Ramshackle Inn at the Sombrero on their honeymoon in March 1952. Frank Lloyd Wright, Clare Booth Luce,