Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2001 - 63

mains concerned with the region's underserved
artists and culturally marginalized communities. Playwright's Arena in Hollywood is dedicated to discovering, nurturing and producing
bold new works for the stage. The chief requisite for these plays is that they be written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights.
The Pasadena Playhouse was founded in
1917 and has been housed in its present building since 1925. "It has a history that has made
an indelible mark on the American Theatre. Its
College of Theatre Arts was known during the
1930s, '40s and '50s as 'Hollywood's Talent
Factory.'" Since its renovation in1986, it has
again become an important part of the local

PHOTO BY MIKE LANCASTER

...theatres in the
greater Los Angeles
area are firmly
committed to
developing and
staging plays that
have strong cultural
links to the local
community.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL LAMONT

The Pasadena Playhouse, since its renovation in 1986, has regained its
stature as a leader in the Los Angeles theatre community and is now
designated as the official State Theatre of California.

Founded in 1965, East West Players is considered to be the first theatre
company in the United States dedicated to developing an Asian-Pacific
American audience. Pictured is a production of Beijing Spring by Tim Dang.

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cultural community. The Laguna Playhouse
also has a history dating back to the 1920s. Located in Laguna Beach about two blocks from
the ocean, the playhouse has experienced continual growth since its inception. Over the past
decade, it has transformed into a professional
theatre company of distinction. It is also noted
for its Youth Theater and education programs.
South Coast Repertory Company is located in
Costa Mesa, a nearby suburb of Los Angeles.
SCR was founded in the 1960s with the belief
that theatre is "an artform with a unique power
to illuminate the human experience." The
works this company present include new plays
and classics but all with the intent to explore
the most urgent human and social issues of our
time. SCR has become an important artistic and
cultural force in burgeoning Orange County.
Other theatres in the greater Los Angeles
area are firmly committed to developing and
staging plays that have strong cultural links to
the local community. East West Players is located
in downtown LA near "Little Tokyo." Nine artists
founded the theatre in 1965. It is considered
the first and foremost Asian Pacific American
theatre in the country. It has produced a variety of plays that include traditional classics,
huge Broadway productions and plays specific
to the Asian American experience. East West
Players has provided training and opportunities to many emerging and professional artists
such as Mako, B.D. Wong, David Henry Hwang,
Philip Kan Gotanda and Nobu McCarthy. It is
the only repertory theatre in Southern California
that specifically implements its mission to develop
an Asian Pacific American audience. A bit to the
west of downtown LA is the Nosotros Theatre. It
was founded by Ricardo Montalban, Rodolfo
Hoyos and Henry Darrow in 1970. The purpose
of the Nosotros Theatre is "to promote persons
of Spanish speaking origin in the motion picture and television industry." The Grupo de
Teatro SINERGIA (translated Theater Group of
Synergy) is housed in the United Methodist
Church in Hollywood. It was founded in 1987
by church members and is the first theatrical
company in Hollywood to offer original productions in Spanish. These are just a few of the
ethnically diverse theatre opportunities available to artists and audiences alike.
The Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare
Company has become an important voice in the
Los Angeles theatre community. Founded in
1993, it produces professional productions of
Shakespeare's plays with an all-female ensemble. Its mission is defined as one which

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2001