Long Beach Theater Scene

All the world’s a stage … especially in Long Beach, where multiple local theater companies produce world-class stage plays and musical theater. In addition to Shakespeare and Sondheim, you can also see the likes of new and experimental works. For a thought-provoking and fun night out, check out the theater scene in Long Beach.

LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE

Long Beach Playhouse (5021 E Anaheim St) was established in 1929 and is home to the 200-seat Mainstage Theatre and 98-seat Studio Theatre. The organization offers more than a dozen shows each year–including an annual production of A Christmas Carol–and offers acting workshops, summer youth programs and an annual New Works Festival. Open call auditions are posted on its website, allowing community members to try out for upcoming plays. The Studio Collaborative provides outside theater companies the opportunity to produce shows on the smaller stage.

LONG BEACH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY

Founded in 1990 with a mission of promoting literacy through exposure to classical theater, the Long Beach Shakespeare Company stages productions at its home venue in Bixby Knolls, the Helen Borgers Theatre (4250 Atlantic Ave), named for its founding artistic director. In addition to classic stage plays, LBSC is also known for its annual presentation of War of the Worlds as adapted for radio by Orson Welles and an annual New Works Festival.

INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE

Each season, International City Theatre produces five plays on the stage at the Beverly O’Neill Theater at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center (300 E Ocean Blvd). The company also runs six educational programs each year and a senior outreach program. An ICT show makes for a perfect night out with the company’s dinner packages. Prix fixe menus are available at three local restaurants–L’Opera, Gladstone’s, Michaels on Naples–allowing theatergoers to enjoy a delicious meal at a price bundled with the show ticket.

THE GARAGE THEATER

The Garage Theater (251 E 7th St) was formed in 2001 in Long Beach as an independent, non-commercial theater and is the torch bearer of innovative and non-traditional theatrical performance in the city. Productions include well-known plays, like John Cameron Mitchell’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch, works by playwrights like Suzan-Lori Parks and Tom Stoppard, as well as boundary-pushing titles like The All-American Genderf*ck Cabaret by Mariah MacCarthy. If you’re looking for theater with edge, humor, even a little punk rock energy, The Garage Theater is your best bet.

MUSICAL THEATRE WEST

With a history dating back to the 1950s–when the company consisted of volunteers performing in a high school auditorium–today Musical Theatre West is one of Southern California’s largest musical theater companies, putting on shows at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center (6200 E Atherton St) on the campus of Cal State Long Beach. Each season, ticket holders can see classic Broadway shows, like Guys & Dolls, alongside newer hits, like Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. MTW also offers a variety of educational programs for adults and youth, including student matinees.

Credit: Musical Theater West

SHAKESPEARE BY THE SEA

Shakespeare by the Sea is a nonprofit theater company performing throughout LA and Orange counties and the only Shakespeare company on the West Coast that travels to so many communities. In recent years, its seven-week summer festival has included show dates at the Recreation Park Bandshell (701-939 Federation Dr.) in Long Beach, offering a chance to experience a free theatrical production of a classic Shakespeare play under the evening stars. The park’s restored historic bandshell provides the perfect backdrop for plays like As You Like It and Julius Caesar.

About the Author

Claire Atkinson

Claire Atkinson is a Southern California native who has lived in Long Beach for over 20 years. She spends her free time visiting local parks, farmers markets, and museums, and loves learning about Long Beach history and culture.