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Founded
in 1917 and housed in the present building since May 1925, The Pasadena
Playhouse has made an indelible mark on American theatre. During its first four
decades, The Pasadena Playhouse produced hundreds of plays, presented 477 world
premieres and was the first American theatre to present all 37 of Shakespeareís
plays. Its College of Theatre Arts, known during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s as
"Hollywoodís talent factory," launched the careers of countless
playwrights, directors and actors such as William Holden, Gloria Stuart, Dustin
Hoffman and Gene Hackman. The Pasadena Playhouse was declared The State Theatre
of California by unanimous vote of the California Legislature in 1937. In 1969
the theatre closed and the beautiful building began to deteriorate. A decade
later, the City of Pasadena, with a grant from the Economic Development Agency,
began restoration leading to the grand reopening in 1986. Since that time, The
Pasadena Playhouse has regained its stature as a leader in the theatre community
and has proven to be a cultural, critical and financial success, attracting more
the 1.5 million playgoers. The theatre hosts a year-round season of six plays,
with over 300 performances given annually.
Over the last eleven years, more than 100 productions, including 28 world and 26
West Coast premieres, have been staged. Four productions have moved to Broadway
(Mail, Accomplice, Solitary Confinement and The Twilight of the
Golds); original cast albums of our productions have been produced and
distributed world-wide (Heartbeats, Radio Gals and Sisterella);
three plays have been made into feature films for television and/or theatrical
release (The Boys Next Door, David's Mother and The Twilight of the
Golds); and Sisterella toured Europe in 1997 and Australia in 1998
to capacity audiences. The national tour of our production of Steel
Magnolias included a Presidential performance and cast visit to the Bush
White House. The Pasadena Playhouse has received over 100 Los Angeles
Drama-Logue Awards, 8 NAACP Awards, and 2 Los Angeles Ovation Awards.