An in-depth look behind the curtain at the La Jolla Playhouse’s impact on theater and performing arts from San Diego to Broadway and beyond.
La Jolla Playhouse is one of San Diego’s most robust venues for theater and the performing arts, a beacon of creativity and innovation in American theater.
The excellence and elegance in the creativity bursting forth from La Jolla Playhouse stem from decades of dedication to the craft of theater and result in the Playhouse’s sterling reputation for producing and premiering trailblazing shows that leave indelible marks on audiences and the industry.
Read on for more about this dynamic space for creation and book your tickets for an unforgettable experience.
La Jolla Playhouse: History and significance
Gregory Peck standing between Grace Kelly and Jean Simmons at the 10th annual Golden Globe Awards. Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection, UCLA Library
La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by La Jolla native Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire and Mel Ferrer, who wanted a return to theater as a break from Hollywood.
La Jolla High School’s auditorium played home to the Playhouse for more than a decade, until a hiatus from 1959 to 1982.
In 1983, La Jolla Playhouse reopened on the UC San Diego campus, quickly trailblazing a seemingly direct path to Broadway under the artistic direction of of Des McAnuff (1983-1994 and 2000-2007); Michael Greif (1995-1999); Anne Hamburger (1999-2000); and Christopher Ashley (2007-2025).
By the numbers, La Jolla Playhouse’s stats impress. As of 2025, the playhouse boasts:
- 128 world premieres
- 8 American premieres
- 39 West Coast premieres
- 70 new works commissioned
- 37 productions have gone on to Broadway
- 42 Tony Awards won by those 37 productions
- 300-plus honors, including the 1993 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre
The Outsiders, La Jolla Playhouse
The 37 La Jolla Playhouse-developed Broadway shows include “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Jersey Boys,” “Come From Away” and “The Outsiders.” Click here for a full list.
La Jolla Playhouse has also honed innovative programs, workshops and residencies to empower bright new talent to craft the future of the stage, along with hosting shows in state-of-the-art facilities like the Mandell Weiss Theatre and the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, which features adaptable seating arrangements and original staging capabilities.
With these, the Playhouse is able to continually foster creative exploration and artistic expression, ensuring consistent excellence.
Planning your visit to La Jolla Playhouse
As You Like It, La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse tickets
To purchase tickets for Playhouse productions, visit lajollaplayhouse.org. There, you’ll be able to view the calendar, shows and seating charts and select a showtime and purchase online.
Tickets are often as low as $30 each, following La Jolla Playhouse’s efforts to provide affordable tickets for all, though these go quickly.
Ticket discounts are available for UCSD students, military and educators as well.
You may also consider a La Jolla Playhouse season subscription, which would save you hundreds of dollars over a season and offer you first access to better seats and other benefits. There are subscription packages available for six or three shows.
Getting to La Jolla Playhouse
La Jolla Playhouse is on the UCSD campus at 2910 La Jolla Village Dr.
Playhouse parking is available in the Theatre District Parking Structure, 9135 S Scholars Dr. Pay at one of various pay stations located on every level near elevators or pay at the ParkMobile website.
Once parked, go up to the ground level via stairs or elevator and follow the signs for the short walk to the Playhouse. Volunteers are always available pre-show to direct you.
Most shows feature beverages and snacks for sale ahead of the shows, and often the La Jolla Playhouse restaurant, James Place, is open for dinner beforehand. Make sure to leave plenty of time – about 20 to 30 minutes – before the show for last-minute restroom use and to find your seats.
There is no dress code; you will see fellow theater goers in a range of clothing from casual to dressy.
La Jolla Playhouse venues and facilities
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, La Jolla Playhouse
Because the performing arts take many forms, La Jolla Playhouse has four brick-and-mortar spaces to stage productions:
The Mandell Weiss Theatre, the first La Jolla Playhouse theater opened in 1983, is a 492-seat proscenium arch theater.
The Mandell Weiss Forum houses a 400-seat thrust stage theater.
The Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theater, opened in 2005, can seat up to 450 people in a flexible theater open to creative staging options.
The Theodore and Adele Shank Theatre is a 98-seat theater adjacent to the Forum.
All spaces are built for optimal acoustics and viewing.
La Jolla Playhouse accommodations are abundant for those with special needs, from wheelchair-accessible entrances and seating to options for those with hearing, sight or sensitivity needs.
La Jolla Playhouse productions: a breadth of entertainment options
From plays and musicals to provocative performance art, La Jolla Playhouse shows are the pinnacle of theater production and ingenuity.
In addition to traditional programming staged in the theaters listed above, La Jolla Playhouse hosts the Without Walls (WOW) festival annually, a four-day celebration of immersive, interactive and surprising art experiences from local, national and international artists, taking over many places on the UCSD campus.
La Jolla Playhouse also endeavors to uplift younger and emergent artists through school workshops, internships and more, continuing its commitment to developing new plays and musicals and nurturing talent through all phases of stage production from script through curtain.
These initiatives not only ensure La Jolla Playhouse stays at the forefront of San Diego and national theater distinction but also serve to offer access to more and more viewers.
Visiting La Jolla
If a visit to La Jolla Playhouse means you’re also looking for other ways to enjoy La Jolla, a dinner before the show off the UCSD campus may be in order, whether in La Jolla Shores at Sea & Sky, in The Village along Girard Avenue or elsewhere in La Jolla, which is full of options for something delicious.
Staying overnight? The closest La Jolla accommodations will be the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa or Hotel La Jolla Curio Collection by Hilton, though if you wanted to make a weekend out of it, there are many more La Jolla hotels ready to offer you an amazing place to sleep after a day of exploring La Jolla by land or by sea.
