Los Angeles

Los Angeles (California). For many years the city played second fiddle to its northern rival San Francisco, although it was a good legitimate theatre town with such people as Oliver Morosco running theatres and producing plays there. By the late years of the Great Depression, only the Biltmore Theatre remained as a regular touring house. However, some other playhouses, often much smaller, enjoyed long runs with locally produced plays. Among these were a record run of The Drunkard and the revue Blackouts. Only since the 1980s has the city not only surpassed San Francisco but also become one of the most important theatre towns in America. The erection of a huge cultural center, at least one new legitimate theatre, and the conversion of some old filmhouses all hastened the growth. While the Los Angeles and San Francisco Light Opera Company is now based in the city, this once active producing organization today does little but book in large musicals. However, the other organizations, such as the Mark Taper Forum, associated with the cultural center have occasionally mounted new works or important revivals that have later toured successfully. Among the other theatres to be found in the Los Angeles area are the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Fountain Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Ahmanson Theatre, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, Colony Theatre Company, Moving Arts, L.A. Theatre Works, Blue Sphere Alliance, West Coast Ensemble, and the nearby Pasadena Playhouse, California Repertory Company at Edison Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara, Alliance Repertory Company, Attic Theatre, and Hudson Theatre. The Los Angeles Critics Circle Awards have been given since 1969 to honor area theatre productions.