Random Things About A Nudist Colony That San Diego Put On Display For Public (12 items)

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  (#10) A Performance Group Recreated The Zoro Garden Experience

  In 2016, a TV and live event series called "Parkeology" did a deep dive into the history and often-overlooked places of Balboa Park. One part of the series focused on Zoro Garden, entitled "The Naked Truth: The Rise And Fall Of America’s Only Public Nudist Colony In Four Acts."

  The creators of the play, Kate Clark and Whelton Jones, sought to bring the idea of Zoro Garden into the present. Clark told the San Diego Uptown News, "Reenactments solidify things as being in the past. The plan is to have different modern things incorporated, like, there will be a juice there and some people will be wearing Crocs." Performers also have to wear nude suits, as per new city laws regarding public nudity.

  Clark also reflected on the general sense of scandal that surrounds the history of the Zoro Garden exhibit:

  Part of this project is about the absurdity of having them in nude suits. Another part involves looking at what was happening during this era that allowed this to occur and asking why that’s not possible now. My hope is that people realize that people have always been weird. So many people have this attitude about "The Past" that people behaved better, and I think this gives an interesting window into a moment of experimentalism in California that was pre-World War II that was taking place during the Great Depression.
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  (#8) San Diego Didn't Have Public Indecency Laws In the 1930s

  Although the nudist colony was considered to be shocking and offensive by many locals, there was technically nothing they could do about it. In the 1930s, there weren't any public indecency laws on the books, meaning the runners of the exhibition could do what they pleased. Zoro Garden had been approved by District Attorney Thomas Whalen, who had viewed an "undress rehearsal" before the exhibit opened. He declared it to be "no worse than you would see at a burlesque show."

  Nowadays, there are laws in place that make displays like Zoro Garden unlikely in the future. For a 2016 play depicting the historic exhibit, the actors were required to wear "nude suits" rather than perform naked. The new laws state that performers must be wearing at least the minimum amount of clothing that is required by public beaches. 
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  (#3) The Performers Were Not Fully Nude

  Even though there were no rules in San Diego about nudity in exhibitions like Zoro Garden, the performers were not actually nude. They were close, though – their uniforms included g-strings and loincloths. Some of the performers also wore barely-there tights that enhanced their figures, but couldn't be seen from a distance.
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  (#2) The Nudists Were Hired Performers, Rather Than Actual Naturists

  Many of the "naturists" who performed in Zoro Garden were "Sunday nudists." Some of them had already performed at Chicago's Century of Progress world's fair, which took place in 1933-34. However, Queen Zorene (Yvonne Stacey) claimed that she was an authentic nudist rather than simply a performer in the show. She quit her role after the first season of the exhibition and took her nudist act on the road. She continued her nudist performance career until the 1950s.
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  (#11) The Garden Was Named After Zoroaster, Founder Of Zoroastrianism

  Although the name Zoro Garden had been "borrowed" from another nudist colony in Roselawn, IN, the garden was said to be named after Zoroaster. Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions, dating back to Persia around 4,000 years ago. Zoroaster (sometimes called Zarathustra) was said to be a prophet who called for followers to worship one god instead of many.

  Zoroastrianism shaped the ancient Persian Empire, and is believed to have influenced the development of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian faiths. However, Zoroastrianism's ties to Zoro Garden end with the name. The side-show promoters were being very creative when they came up with their "Sacrifice to the Sun God" routine, and there were no other religious references.
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  (#6) The Colony's "Queens" Caused A Stir In The Media

  The leader of the Zoro Garden nudist colony was known as Queen Zorene. It was a role played by multiple women during the exhibit's two-season run, and a highly coveted gig. The first Queen Zorene was 22-year-old Yvonne Stacey, but just before the end of the first season she left the show and 20-year-old Ruth Cubitts took her place.

  Cubitts was quickly replaced for the second season by her sister Florence, 19, who went by the stage name Tanya. There were several Cubitts sisters in the Zoro Garden exhibit. It was Tanya who brought the character of Queen Zorene to the media, flying to New York and doing interviews naked. She went on a full press tour after the exhibit ended.

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