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Melissa Riley worked in Hollywood as an assistant director for movies such as 鈥淐oraline鈥� and 鈥淪pider-Man鈥� and television shows such as 鈥淪tar Trek: Voyager鈥� and 鈥淭he West Wing.鈥�

However, after Riley founded the Beaverton Civic Theatre in 2009, she faced a particularly difficult challenge 鈥� staging live theater in the Beaverton City Library鈥檚 auditorium with its small stage and 150 seats.

鈥淚t does get crowded,鈥� Riley said. 鈥淲e鈥檇 really like to have a larger stage, bigger dressing rooms and have more room in general so we can produce bigger shows 鈥� maybe even musicals with a full orchestra.鈥�

That鈥檚 why Riley said she鈥檚 excited that members of the Beaverton Arts Foundation are investigating the possibility of building a multimillion-dollar performing arts center in the community.

The foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as the fundraising arm of the Beaverton Arts Commission, a branch of the city government. Jayne Scott, the commission鈥檚 senior program manager, said no one knows yet what form the proposed performing arts center would take, where it would be located or how much it would cost.

Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle said estimates made years ago priced it in excess of $20 million.

Scott said another unknown is where funding would come from.

鈥淭his has not yet been determined,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are investigating all possible funding sources. We鈥檙e just doing what we call the groundwork right now. We鈥檝e never initiated a capital improvement campaign before.鈥�

Commission members six months ago hired consultant Jill Burnette of Portland, for $9,450, to help guide the process of identifying what the community wants 鈥� and is willing to support 鈥� in a performing arts center. Burnette previously worked as a consultant for the Maryhill Museum of Art, along the Columbia Gorge, when the facility underwent a $10 million expansion.

Burnette said the idea of a performing arts center in Beaverton is generating a lot of buzz.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing a really big interest in staying local and not traveling, often at night, to see a performance in Portland,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just know there will be a big piece of private philanthropy鈥� (involved in the project).

Riley said the lack of a performing arts center affects the kinds of shows produced by the Beaverton Civic Theatre. She has to choose shows that can be performed on a tiny stage. That鈥檚 not good for a community theater that wants to involve as many people as possible, she said.

One of the biggest casts so far was for last year鈥檚 production of 鈥淭he Miracle Worker.鈥� The 21 actors included a number of girls playing blind students.

鈥淎fter they were on, they had to go a conference room upstairs,鈥� Riley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not exactly the theater experience.鈥�

When the theater produced 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a Good Man, Charlie Brown,鈥� the roles were cast twice and rotated so that more local residents could take part. A bigger stage would mean bigger shows, Riley said.

鈥淎s it stands now, we鈥檙e not going to put on 鈥楾he Music Man,鈥� 鈥� she said.

Burnette said that鈥檚 a given.

鈥淭hat space was never created for the theater,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no backstage (and) no dressing rooms. There鈥檚 a lot of making do.鈥�

Doyle said the city government will no doubt help the effort in any way it can. However, he said, it is to everyone鈥檚 benefit that private fundraisers take the lead.

鈥淭here are things private individuals can do in terms of getting tax breaks and so forth that government simply cannot,鈥� he said.

鈥淚n terms of my personal support, I will be as good a cheerleader as I can. The community is really ready for this.鈥�

Actually, the community has been ready for more than 17 years, Doyle said. That鈥檚 when he brought the concept before the city council while serving as its liaison to the arts commission.

鈥淭his is near and dear to my heart, and I will move heaven and earth to make it happen,鈥� Doyle said. 鈥淥ther than that, I have no opinion on the matter.鈥�

Scott said the ultimate vision would be a performing arts center able to accommodate 400 to 600 people and with classroom space as well as a large lobby for events.

The Beaverton Civic Theatre is not the only local arts group feeling squished, she said. Beaverton鈥檚 ISing Choir operates out of a local church.

鈥淭hey often have to turn people away for lack of seating,鈥� she added.

The town has an incredibly rich cultural life, Scott said. At least 90 languages are spoken by students in Beaverton public schools.

鈥淎s a result, we have performing and visual artists representing almost all of those groups,鈥� she said.

Commission members are working with an East Indian performing arts group as well as Northstar, a Native American group. A performing arts center would accommodate these groups as well as touring performers, according to Scott.

鈥淲e just don鈥檛 have a venue,鈥� she said.

The Beaverton Arts Commission generates only about $300,000 in revenue annually to support various programs. Doyle said the task of raising multiple millions of dollars would be daunting, but doable.

鈥淚 really think the community will raise that money, and I will help them do that any way I can,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is a really great thing for the community, and we鈥檒l get there.鈥�