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La Jolla Playhouse history
La Jolla Playhouse company history timeline
Written by Emlyn Williams Directed by Richard Whorf Set Design by Robert Davison With Dame May Whitty, Oliver Thorndike, Eileen Erskine, Gavin Muir, Patricia Hitchcock, John Williams, Doris Lloyd, Julie Mitchum Performance Dates: July 8 – 13, 1947
It was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer.
Written by F. Hugh Herbert Directed by Harry Ellerbe Set Design by John Boyt Lighting Design by James W. Neilson With June Lockhart, Leon Ames, Mark O’Daniels, Frank Conlan, Joan Miller, Maudie Prickett, H.C. Rust, Margaret Wells Performance Dates: July 20 – 25, 1948
Written by Allan Scott and George Haight Directed by James Neilson Set Design by Robert Tyler Lee With Wendell Corey, Audrey Totter, Leon Ames, Barbara Lawrence Performance Dates: August 29 – September 3, 1950
Written by Paul Osborn Directed by James Neilson Set Design by Robert Tyler Lee With Victor Moore, Beulah Bondi, Harry Ellerbe, Whit Bissell, David Stollery III, Russell Hicks Performance Dates: August 28 – September 2, 1951
A New Play by Robert Smith Directed by Mel Ferrer Set and Lighting Design by Ariel Ballif With Eva Gabor, Richard Egan, Pat O’Brien, Tom Brown, Michael McHale, Rex Evans, Eddie Marr, William S. Meigs, John Downey, Alan Dexter, G. Pat Collins Performance Dates: August 19 – 24, 1952
Written by John Van Druten Directed by Norman Lloyd Set Design by Bill Martin Costume Design by Dorothy Jeakins With Dorothy McGuire, Don Taylor, Lee Patrick, Alan Hale, Jr., Edit Angold, Ruth Hill, Lamont Johnson Performance Dates: June 30 – July 5, 1953
Written by George Axelrod Directed by Norman Lloyd Set Design by Robert Corrigan With Don Taylor, Kathleen Hughes, Willard Waterman, Catherine McLeod, George Neise Performance Dates: August 10 – 22, 1954
Written by N. Richard Nash Directed by Norman Lloyd Set and Lighting Design by John Blankenchip With Teresa Wright, James Whitmore, Lee Marvin, Scott Forbes, Fay Roope, William Challee, James Dobson Performance Dates: June 28 – July 10, 1955
Written by William Inge Directed by Don Taylor Set and Lighting by John Blankenchip With Sally Forrest, Lee Marvin, Fred Clark, Benay Venuta, Frank Cady, Frank Sully, William Challee, Susan Kohner Performance Dates: June 26 – July 8, 1956
Written by William Douglas Home Directed by Reginald Gardiner and Randolph Hale Set and Lighting Design by John Blankenchip With Reginald Gardiner, Brenda Forbes, Lynn Bailey, Liam Sullivan, Ann Lee, Warren Frost, Luana Anders Performance Dates: June 25 – July 7, 1957
Cooke Set Design by Zvi Geyra Lighting Design by Barry McGee With Reginald Gardiner, Alan Reed, Les Tremayne, Ann Daniels, Burt Metcalfe, Meg Wyllie, Michael Bradford, Alan Cooke Performance Dates: August 11 – 23, 1958
Arthur Wagner, the founding chairman of UC San Diego’s Theatre & Dance Department, said that virtually from the day he arrived in La Jolla in 1972, Playhouse patrons were begging him to find a home on campus for the shuttered theater.
The first La Jolla Playhouse theatre introduced in 1983, the Mandell Weiss Theatre is a 492-seat proscenium arch theatre.
Received seven 1985 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Director, Best Book, Best Score, Best Featured Actor, Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design.
A Musical Adventure for Young Audiences Written and adapted by Oana-Marie Hock Directed by James Martin Music by Michael Roth With Zar Acayan, Charles Douglass, Luzmaria Garcia, Alice McMasters Performance Dates: 1989
Written and Directed by Athol Fugard Set Design by Susan Hilferty and Douglas Stein Costume Design by Andrea Singer Lighting Design by Dennis Parichy With Athol Fugard, Bennet Guillory, Maria Tucci Performance Dates: August 20 – September 29, 1991; Mandell Weiss Theatre
Performance Dates: August 25 – October 2, 1992; La Jolla Playhouse downtown at the Lyceum Stage
In 1993, that string of successes would result in the Playhouse winning the regional theater Tony Award.
West Coast Premiere Created and Performed by Victoria Chaplin & Jean Baptiste Thierrée Wardrobe & Properties by Chantal Ravaud, Olivier Ernoult Lighting Operator: Laura de Bernardis Sound Operator: Carole Groia Performance Dates: May 4 – June 11, 1995; Mandell Weiss Theatre
BILL MAHR – June 29, 1996, Mandell Weiss Theatre Patrick Stewart in A CHRISTMAS CAROL Performance Dates: November 23 & 24, 1996; Mandell Weiss Theatre Mump & Smoot in SOMETHING Performance Dates: December 6 & 7, 1996; Mandell Weiss Theatre
Victoria Chaplin and Jean Baptiste Thierree in The Invisible Circle/Le Circle Invisible Performance Dates: December 10 – 21, 1997; Mandell Weiss Theatre
Performance Dates: July 7 – August 9, 1998; Mandell Weiss Theatre Produced at the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C. and at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Written by Lee Blessing Directed by Maria Mileaf Set Design by Annie Smart Costume Design by Ann Hould-Ward Lighting Design by Lenore Doxsee Original Music and Sound Design by Michael Roth With L. Scott Caldwell, Amy Morton Performance Dates: September 12 – October 15, 2000; Mandell Weiss Forum
But when his replacement, New York theater darling Anne Hamburger, quit midway through her first season, McAnuff returned in 2001.
Inagurated in 2005, the newest of the La Jolla Playhouse theatres is the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, a black box flexible theatre seating up to 450 patrons, and the centerpiece of the 6,500-square-foot Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center.
Christopher Ashley, the Playhouse’s artistic director since 2007, said he appreciates the loyalty of the theater’s audience and its appetite for bold, new work.
In 2007, Ashley replaced McAnuff, who returned to Canada to lead the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
In 2008, he created an annual residency program for homeless local theater troupes, and he feels the Playhouse gets just as much from the program as they do.
A Without Walls Production Written by David Leddy Performance Dates: September 16 – October 23, 2011; San Diego Botanical Garden
In 2011, he spearheaded the innovative Without Walls (WOW) series of site-inspired and immersive theatre.
Performance Dates: April 27 – June 17, 2012; Mandell Weiss Theatre
Performance Dates: October 3 – 6, 2013 Click here for WoW production credits
Performance Dates: November 28 – December 21, 2014; Mandell Weiss Forum
Performance Dates: October 9 – 11, 2015 Click here for WoW production credits
By Frank Henry Kaash Katasse Directed by Randy Reinholz May 26 – June 5, 2016; Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre
Created and performed by Mike Daisey Directed by Isaac Butler October 4 – 9, 2016; Mandell Weiss Forum
By Mat Smart Directed by Jackson Gay August 1 – 27, 2017; Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
Performance Dates: October 19-22, 2017 »Click here to download the 2017 WOW program
World-Premiere Musical Book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary, and Des McAnuff Choreography by Sergio Trujillo Musical Supervision by Ron Melrose Directed by Des McAnuff November 7 – December 24, 2017; Mandell Weiss Theatre
Led for the last decade by 2017 Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley, the Playhouse has solidified its reputation of originating new work, producing a total of 105 world premieres and sending 33 productions to Broadway – including the currently-running hit musical Come From Away.
By Lee Cataluna Directed by Eric Johnson March 10 & 11, 2018; Rao and Padma Makineni Play Development Center (PDC)
A Without Walls Production, in association with Cornerstone Theater Company By Naomi Iizuka Directed by Michael John Garcés April 19 – 29, 2018; Challenged Athletes Foundation
World Premiere By Robert Askins Directed by Christopher Ashley June 5 – July 8, 2018; Mandell Weiss Forum
By Martyna Majok Directed by Carey Perloff July 3 – 29, 2018; Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
By Laura Schellhardt Directed by Jacole Kitchen March 9 & 10, 2019; Rao and Padma Makineni Play Development Center (PDC)
World Premiere By Ike Holter Directed by Lili-Anne Brown June 2 – 30, 2019; Mandell Weiss Forum
World Premiere By Melissa Ross Directed by Jaime Castañeda June 30 – July 28, 2019; Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who turned 77 on Tuesday, is drawing from his Beatles, Wings and solo career songbooks on his current Freshen Up concert tour June 20, 2019
Performance Dates: October 17-20, 2019 »Click here to download the 2019 WOW program
Based on J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy Book by Rajiv Joseph Music by Bill Sherman Lyrics by Kirsten Childs and Rajiv Joseph Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and Stephanie Klemons Directed by Jeffrey Seller February 18 – March 11, 2020; Mandell Weiss Theatre
By A.A. Brenner and Gregg Mozgala Directed by Talleri A. McRae and Mickey Rowe February 29 & March 1, 2020; Rao and Padma Makineni Play Development Center (PDC)
Created by Mike Sears & Lisa Berger Directed by Lisa Berger Premiered May 14, 2020; Digital Production
19-20, would have been the first edition of KAABOO not held in Del Mar July 27, 2020
» La Jolla Playhouse FY20 Audit Report » La Jolla Playhouse Federal 990 form for FY 2020
Episodes released Oct 15 – 28, 2020; Digital Production
Legendary choreographer Jean Isaacs has retired as the artistic director of San Diego Dance Theater, but she’s by no means done May 16, 2021
The Bishop’s School senior Delilah Delgado, 18, grew up attending the Bard’s plays at The Old Globe in Balboa Park May 16, 2021
Italy is honoring Dante Alighieri in myriad ways on the 700th anniversary of the great poet’s death, from musical scores to museum exhibits May 21, 2021
President Joe Biden says he won’t allow the Department of Justice to seize journalists’ phone records and emails, calling the practice “wrong” in a significant departure from his predecessors May 21, 2021
Pat Metheny, Bobby McFerrin, Stewart Copeland also set to perform at San Diego Symphony’s new $85 million outdoor venue, which will host part of the orchestra’s fall season May 21, 2021
Season will begin June 16, one day after the governor’s target date for return to “business as normal” economy May 18, 2021
Balboa Park theater’s announcement follows governor’s plan to reopen the state by mid-June April 8, 2021
World Premiere By Charlayne Woodard Co-Directed by Patricia McGregor and Delicia Turner Sonnenberg September 21 – October 17, 2021; Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre
World Premiere By Kimber Lee Directed by Neel Keller November 16 – December 12, 2021; Mandell Weiss Theatre
World Premiere Book by Mike Lew and Rehana Lew Mirza Music & Lyrics by Sam Willmott Additional Music by Deep Singh Musical Staging by Lisa Shriver Choreography by Rujuta Vaidya Directed by Stafford Arima March 8 – April 17, 2022; Mandell Weiss Theatre
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| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Coast Repertory | 1964 | $9.9M | 50 | - |
| Playwrights Horizons | 1971 | $17.5M | 200 | - |
| Atlantic Theater | 1985 | $10.0M | 5 | - |
| Seattle Rep | 1963 | $10.8M | 300 | 2 |
| Roundabout Theatre | 1965 | $86.8M | 750 | - |
| American Theatre Wing | 1917 | $3.7M | 23 | - |
| Williamstown Theatre Festival | 1955 | $3.9M | 375 | - |
| New York Theatre Workshop | 1979 | $7.0M | 20 | - |
| Manhattan Theatre Club | 1970 | $30.3M | 50 | - |
| Second Stage Theater | 1979 | $9.5M | 10 | - |
La Jolla Playhouse history FAQs
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