Believe it or not, Hollywood is not always the final destination for LA’s most talented actors. You’re just as likely to catch them in one of the city’s many distinguished theaters, from Santa Monica’s Broad Stage to Beverly Hills’ Wallis Annenberg Center.
Here are our favorites, including their most notable upcoming productions:
Broad Stage
Santa Monica College’s Broad Stage has been thrilling audiences both visually and acoustically since 2008. Inspired by the Italian “horseshoe” shaped theaters, LA’s largest proscenium stage offers 538 seats and showcases a wide variety of performing arts including dance, film, operas, musicals, symphony, and chamber orchestras. For smaller performances featuring up-and-coming breakout artists, don’t miss the Edye—the venue’s smaller black box theater.
Upcoming Productions: Lil Buck (May 13-14)
Geffen Playhouse
Located in Westwood, the Geffen Playhouse building began its life as a Masonic Club House for UCLA students and alumni, until the Masons sold it in the 1970s. It was founded by Gil Cates (film and television director) in 1995, and has since gone on to host hundreds of professional shows and productions—in the process winning over 40 regional theater awards. Keep an eye out for famous actors or playwrights amongst the cast, like Neil Patrick Harris or Carrie Fischer.
Upcoming Productions: Stage Kiss (through May 15), In & Of Itself (May 3-26), Big Sky (June 7-July 17)
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis)
Home to two state-of-the-art theaters in Beverly Hills, the 70,000 square-foot Annenberg Center is comprised of the 500-seat Bram Goldsmith Theater and 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater. The building’s lobby pays homage to the 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office, which is lovingly restored for a seamless marriage of classic and modern design. From world-class theater to eclectic dance and music performances, this cultural hub is the perfect representation of LA’s blossoming arts scene.
Upcoming Productions: An Evening with Peter Sellars (May 16), The City of Conversation (May 17-June 4), Seedfolks (June 4-5)
Kirk Douglas Theatre
Inspired by a 1940s movie house, the 317-seat Kirk Douglas Theater is the most intimate of Center Theater Group’s three citywide stages. Previously named the Culver Theater, it’s a central player on the Culver City arts scene and owns an impressive track record of theatrical productions. Since its founding in 2004, three of its plays have been picked up by Broadway—including “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson,” “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” and “Come Back, Little Sheba.”
