La Jolla Playhouse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
La Jolla Playhouse

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center at the La Jolla Playhouse
Formation	1947
Type	Theatre group
Location	San Diego, California
Artistic director(s)	Christopher Ashley
Notable members	Founders: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Mel Ferrer

The La Jolla Playhouse is a special theater located on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. It's a professional theater that doesn't aim to make a profit. Instead, it focuses on creating amazing plays and musicals for everyone to enjoy.

History of the Playhouse

The La Jolla Playhouse was started in 1947 by three famous actors: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer. It was a popular place for theater for many years.

In 1983, the Playhouse was brought back to life by a new leader named Des McAnuff. Since then, it has become a very important theater. It has shown 108 brand-new plays and musicals for the very first time (called "world premieres"). It has also shown 32 plays for the first time on the West Coast and 8 plays for the first time in America.

The Playhouse has won over 300 awards! In 1993, it even won a special Tony Award for being America's best regional theater. The Tony Awards are like the Oscars for live theater. The Playhouse gets support from groups like the National Endowment for the Arts to help it keep creating great shows.

In 2007, Christopher Ashley became the new artistic director, taking over from Des McAnuff.

Plays That Made It Big

Many shows that started at the La Jolla Playhouse later became huge hits on Broadway in New York City. Broadway is where some of the biggest and most famous theater shows in the world are performed.

Some of these successful shows include:

• The Who's Tommy
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Thoroughly Modern Millie
• Jersey Boys
• Memphis
• Peter and the Starcatcher
• Come From Away (Its director, Christopher Ashley, won a Tony Award for this show!)
• Big River
• A musical based on the book The Outsiders (novel)

Learning and Fun Programs

The La Jolla Playhouse offers many cool ways for kids, teens, and adults to learn about theater. You can learn about acting, or what happens behind the scenes to make a show happen.

POP Tour

One special program is the Performance Outreach Program (POP Tour). Every year, a professional play is created just for this tour. It then travels to schools, libraries, and community centers all over San Diego. This way, many people can see a great show, even if they can't visit the Playhouse.

Page to Stage Program

In 2001, the Playhouse started the Page to Stage Play Development Program. This program helps new plays and musicals get ready for the stage. It's a unique chance for audiences to see a play as it's being created.

During a Page to Stage show, the sets and costumes are kept simple. The play might even change during the performances! After the show, the audience can share their thoughts. This feedback helps the writers and actors make the play even better.

Two plays that started in this program later won Tony Awards:

• I Am My Own Wife won a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Awards in 2004.
• 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal won a Tony Award in 2005.

Theater Leaders

The Playhouse has different leaders who help it run smoothly.

Managing Directors

These people handle the business side of the theater:

• 1981–1991: Alan Levey
• 1992–2004: Terry Dwyer
• 2005–2008: Steven Libman
• 2009–2018: Michael S. Rosenberg
• 2018–current: Debby Buchholz

Artistic Directors

These leaders are in charge of the creative side, choosing the plays and guiding the artists:

• 1947–1959: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Mel Ferrer (the founders)
• 1983–1994: Des McAnuff
• 1995–1999: Michael Greif
• 1999–2000: Anne Hamburger
• 2000–2007: Des McAnuff
• 2007–  : Christopher Ashley

Famous Actors Who Performed Here

Many well-known actors have performed at the La Jolla Playhouse over the years. Some of them include:

Images for kids

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  Joan and Irwin Jacobs Center at the La Jolla Playhouse

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  La Jolla Playhouse logo