Austin Playhouse - Austin's premier professional theatre in Austin, Texas.

• Who are we?
• Our players
• Our productions

Our mission...

Austin Playhouse is dedicated to providing opportunities for Austin artists and audiences to celebrate the human experience. Austin Playhouse will nourish your mind, delight your spirit, and enrich your life through professional productions of classic, contemporary and musical plays.

 

Our goals...

Communities across America have recognized the cultural, economic, and social value of professional regional theatre. An alternative to the Broadway model, the regional theatre develops quality work in a collaborative dialogue with the community it serves. Austin Playhouse has built an impressive place in the Austin arts landscape and is poised to take the next step, becoming a world-class regional theatre.

 

Our history...

Austin Playhouse was founded, incorporated, and chartered by the State of Texas in August of 2000. Over fifty of Austin’s leading theatre artists, administrators, and volunteers who had worked with veteran Producing Artistic Director Don Toner to build the State Theater Company (formerly Live Oak Theatre) into one of Austin’s leading arts organizations, signed on to work with him on the creation of this new professional theatre for Austin. On November 27, 2000 Austin Playhouse was granted 501 (C) (3) status by the Internal Revenue Service.

For its premiere season, Austin Playhouse performed on the campus of Concordia University. Three plays, Light Up the Sky, Mahalia, and The Fantasticks were produced under a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Joining 320 season subscribers were over 1,800 single ticket buyers over 40 performances. Austin Playhouse expanded its second season to four productions. With a subscriber base of 430 and over 5,000 single ticket buyers and groups.

On October 4, 2002, Austin Playhouse settled into its new home at Penn Field on South Congress Avenue, opening a production of the Tony Award winning play Copenhagen by Michael Frayn. The new, comfortable 150-seat theatre featured a large lobby with an art gallery and concession area. The first season in the new theatre also included hit productions of The Merry Wives of Windsor, Damn Yankees, and The Dead Presidents’ Club. With an ever increasing subscriber base and rising ticket sales, the life of this new, budding theater space was well on its way!

In February 2004, the Austin Playhouse opened its new 70-seat performance space and was rededicated the Larry L. King Theatre in October of 2006. During this time, Austin Playhouse also hosted performances by Austin Shakespeare Festival, Different Stages, Pro Arts Collective, and Onstage Theatre Company among others.

The 2007-2008 Main Stage Season officially expanded to a five play series. Additionally, the Larry L. King Theatre hosted its first official four-play season and began hosting new play readings by local playwrights. This development led into the Larry L. King 2008-2009 season to include the world premiere of local playwright Cyndi Williams’ Dug Up (David Mark Cohen Award for Best New Play) and opened the door to be able to produce the southwest premiere of Age of Arousal (Austin Critics Table Best Comedy Winner).

Austin Playhouse has grown to a year-round operation with an eye to the future by becoming one of the finest Equity theaters in Austin. In the coming months, Austin Playhouse will be breaking ground on their new, permanent home in the Mueller Airport Redevelopment. The new location will allow full ownership and maintainence our own building, provide improved working conditions for our artists and increase audience amenities.

 

Our Board of Directors...

Hans Venable, President
Andrea Osborn, Vice President
Amy Malish, Secretary
Diana Huckaby, Treasurer

Carolyn Bartlett Bob Gerrie Peg Gerrie Scott Ginder Gary Greif

Margaret Hoard Huck Huckaby Shari Kolding Joe Lostracco David Malish

Buffy Manners Ian Manners Barry Miller Suzanne Moses Tom Parker

Pat Saunders David Stokey Don Toner Lara Toner Dirk van Allen

 

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