21 Best Performing Arts in Los Angeles, California

Named for one of Shakespeare's stage directions in Hamlet, A Noise Within is the Los Angeles area's preeminent place to see classic theater. The Bard's own works are told alongside those of Oscar Wilde and the Greek tragedies, often with a twist. The company boasts fierce talent among its revolving repertory of resident actors, many of whom also work in Hollywood. Audience members are never more than eight rows away from its platform stage, creating a sense of intimacy for all in attendance.

The largest of L.A.'s Center Theatre Group's three theaters, the 2,100-seat Ahmanson Theatre presents larger-scale classic revivals, dramas, musicals, and comedies like Into the Woods, which are either going to or coming from Broadway and the West End. The ambience is a theater lover's delight.

With two stages and year-round performances, Atwater Village has aligned with three L.A. theater companies: Ensemble Studio Theatre, Circle X Theatre Co., and Echo Theater Company, and presents fresh works from new local playwrights.

Specializing in restored archival film, the Billy Wilder Theater, home of the UCLA Film & Television Archive, presents a number of acclaimed screenings, including both silent and foreign films. The Hammer Museum produces its own events for the theater, including readings, lectures, and conversations with artists. Authors Jonathan Lethem and Roxane Gay, and director David Lynch have all made appearances. Hammer Museum programs are free; screenings by the UCLA Film & Television Archive have charged admission with a ticket.

The Center Theatre Group is comprised of three venues: the Ahmanson and the Taper (both at the Music Center campus Downtown) and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. They show an array of productions, from the Tony Award winner Dear Evan Hansen to touring productions of Broadway hits like Jersey Boys.

Plays at this Little Tokyo theater focus on the Asian American experience and feature an Asian American cast. Its Theatre for Youth Program is a traveling production that promotes racial tolerance and understanding among students. It is also home to the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute.

The multiple award–winning (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, NAACP Theater Awards, Ovation Award, to name a few) Fountain Theatre is committed to diverse theater and dance performances. Although the 80-seat venue may be intimate, it's a powerhouse at producing original plays in addition to revivals.

This theater centers on original material and world premieres with professional actors year-round. The small venue is known for its dedication to diversity and its inclusive atmosphere, with “talkbacks" (Q&As between actors and audience members) after certain shows. Ray Bradbury regularly produced shows here for five years before his death in 2012, including a stage adaptation of Fahrenheit 451.

Well-known actors are often on the bill at the Geffen, and plays by established playwrights, such as Neil LaBute and Lynn Nottage, happen regularly. With two stages hosting world premieres and critically acclaimed works, there's always something compelling to watch. Free events are frequently put on for ticket holders, including Wine Down Sundays, which feature music and wine sampling before evening shows.

This theater, located in a walkable Culver City neighborhood (close to cocktail bars and trendy restaurants), stages modern works and world premieres. The smallest venue of the group at 317 seats, the theater also hosts intimate workshops and readings.

Both dramas and comedies dominate the stage at the Mark Taper Forum, next door to the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown. A showcase for new and experimental plays, quite a few shows that premiered here have gone on to Broadway and off-Broadway theaters (a number of Pulitzer Prize–winning plays have also been developed here).

Odyssey Theatre presents largely traditional dramas in an intimate space, typically with astute direction and powerful acting. They also produce contemporary, experimental plays (or thoughtful explorations of the classics) throughout the season.

For the grand-scale theatrics of a Broadway show, such as Hamilton and The Book of Mormon, the 2,703-seat Pantages Theatre (the last theater built by Greek American vaudeville producer Alexander Pantages) lights up Hollywood Boulevard on show nights, when lines of excited patrons extend down the block.

Plays, musicals, and concerts all happen at this midsize theater, mostly focusing on Latin culture. When the weather warms up, they host the Rooftop Cinema Club, where you can watch a flick on the roof (they give out blankets on cold nights), indulge at the snack bar, and take in views of Hollywood.

The Ricardo Montalban Theatre is more than just a live performance and outdoor movie screening space. While it is famous for its comedy shows, small film festivals, and rooftop movie screenings, collaborating with well-known chefs for its food service as well as artists to create art and commerce together, its biggest goals are to support performing arts and create employment in Hollywood. So, beyond having that quintessentially L.A. experience of watching movies outdoors, you're also supporting a local business that in turn supports the local community. For a true local experience in Hollywood, this is the spot to go and check out a show.

This historic art deco theater in Beverly Hills plays host to rock and soul artists and legends, as well as comedy shows.

Housing three theaters and boasting the same artistic direction for 50 years, this venue brings a number of original plays, touring companies, poetry readings, spoken-word events, and revival shows to the stage. The Family Theatre Musical Matinee Series features family-friendly reworked classic plays. Educational programs and workshops are available for all ages.

Socially conscious, unconventional, and politically themed shows are the focus here. Helmed by artistic director Tim Robbins (who was also one of its founders in 1981), the Actors' Gang also has educational and outreach programs to benefit local students and the community. Their Prison Project initiative, for example, conducts acting workshops at California state prisons. Famous actors are also known to make cameos at the theater. In summer, the Actors’ Gang offers adaptations of Shakespeare for free in Media Park. Call or check the website for the schedule.

Exceptional plays and musicals, occasionally featuring known TV and movie actors, are what this theater is mostly known for---that and it’s a historical landmark that’s been operating as a theater since 1925. The 650-seat playhouse also holds the title of official state theater of California. Tours of the venue are available by appointment.

Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a cultural hub for a wide variety of artistic performances. A breath of fresh air, the complex is centered on the 1934 Italianate-style Beverly Hills Post Office. The interior is gorgeous, with eight Depression-era murals painted by California artist Charles Kassler depicting laborers and artisans. The building includes the 500-seat Bram Goldsmith Theater and the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater. Affordable parking is available underneath the space.

This open-air theater has put on classics like Shakespeare as well as new and relevant plays for five decades. You'll also find improv, performances of rare works, special events like Elizabethan and holiday fairs, classes, and Family Fundays in this bucolic space. The gardens have sitting areas for picnics before the show. You're encouraged to "Play and Stay" in the Topanga area by pairing your theater experience with a hike in the local hills or a trip to one of the area's unique restaurants beforehand; the company also hosts dinner (and a show) on certain nights.

Select weekends are great for families, with special shows performed with children in mind.