Geffen Playhouse

The Geffen Playhouse is a not-for-profit theater company founded in Los Angeles, California by Gilbert Cates in 1995.

Geffen Playhouse

Address	10886 Le Conte Avenue Los Angeles, California United States
Coordinates	34.0636°N 118.4447°W / 34.0636; -118.4447
Owner	UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
Operator	Geffen Playhouse Inc.
Type	Regional theater
Capacity	Gil Cates Theater: 512 Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre:149
Construction
Built	1929
Opened	1970s
Reopened	1995
Rebuilt	2005
Website
geffenplayhouse.com

It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named for donor David Geffen. The current executive director is Gil Cates Jr.^[1]

Venues, performances

Fountain in the Geffen courtyard.

The Geffen Playhouse offers five plays per season in the Gil Cates Theatre and three plays per season in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre, as well as producing special events in both venues.

History

The Geffen Playhouse was built in 1929 as the Masonic Affiliates Club, or the MAC, for students and alumni at UCLA. One of the first twelve structures built in Westwood Village, it was designed by architect Stiles O. Clements.^[2]

Its courtyard fountain is a piece from Malibu Potteries. The pattern on the lower tier of the Geffen's fountain appears in the Adamson House dining room, while the pattern on the upper tier can be seen on the east exterior face of the dining room, bordering a Moorish arch window.

Originally named the Contempo Theatre, and later the Westwood Playhouse,^[3] the property was purchased by UCLA in 1993. UCLA's then-chancellor, Charles E. Young, appointed Gil Cates, founder and former president of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, as its producing director.

The theater was renamed in 1995 after media mogul David Geffen donated $5 million.^[4] In 2002, the David Geffen Foundation made a $5-million lead gift towards an eventual $17-million capital campaign to renovate the theater. The Geffen reopened on November 16, 2005 with the main 500-seat theater retained and a new 125-seat Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theater added.^[5]

In March 2010, the Playhouse's board of directors named the main stage the Gil Cates Theater.^[6] Cates died in October 2011.^[7] Gil Cates, Jr. was appointed executive director in 2015.^[8]

Geffen at night.

Matt Shakman was appointed artistic director in August 2017, followed by Tarell Alvin McCraney in September 2023.^[9]