4 Best Performing Arts in The Bay Area, California

One of the region's most highly respected and innovative repertory theaters, Berkeley Rep performs the work of classic and contemporary playwrights. Well-known pieces mix with world premieres and edgier fare. The theater's complex, which includes the 400-seat Peet's Theatre and the 600-seat Roda Theatre, is in the heart of downtown Berkeley's arts district, near BART's Downtown Berkeley station.

Known for critically acclaimed productions like David Mamet's American Buffalo and Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and frequently launching world premieres of new plays, the Aurora is at the heart of Berkeley storytelling and community engagement. The theater's Alafi Auditorium seats 150 on three sides of the stage for premium viewing, and the smaller Harry's UpStage offers a more intimate experience for 49. Beyond the stage, the company has a monthly online broadcast with members of the community and its artists.

Every May and June, locals tote overstuffed picnic baskets to the Mountain Theater to see the Mountain Play, an annual theater tradition that began in 1913. Past productions have included popular musicals like West Side Story, The Music Man, and My Fair Lady. A free shuttle runs from Manzanita Parking Lot at the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 1, just beyond the Mill Valley/Stinson Beach exit off Highway 101 and from Tamalpais High School.

Bay Area theater legend Robert Kelley founded this company in 1970, and today it continues to be one of the most thrilling performing arts destinations in the region. Performances are split between the intimate Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto and the grander, newer Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. The fare is never overly edgy yet is always full of innovative touches. The cast and set designs are consistently top-tier.