Sierra Madre Playhouse

Award-winning theater located in the heart of Sierra Madre

ABOUT SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE:

Mission
With deep artistic roots in the San Gabriel Valley, our mission is to connect people in our diverse communities to one another through bold, resonant live theater in an intimate setting that inspires, entertains, and celebrates our shared humanity.

Vision
Our vision for the Sierra Madre Playhouse is to become the region's premier intimate performing arts destination through sustained artistic excellence, expansive educational and cultural offerings, and inclusive outreach.

The Sierra Madre Playhouse is a non-profit public benefit organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, contributions to which may be tax-deductible.

Infectious Disease/COVID-19 Safety Protocols for SMP-produced Indoor Events
To keep our staff and all of our guests safe as possible and to help prevent the spread of infectious disease/COVID-19, in adherence to current CDC recommendations and LA County mandates, we have updated the following policies in place for all of our upcoming indoor events for our patrons:

- Proof of COVID-19 vaccinations are no longer required to be presented by guests at the door before entering. All of our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and we have a COVID Mitigation Team of certified COVID Compliance Officers.
- All SMP performers and production team/staff members are no longer tested within 72 hours before each event unless experiencing symptoms of infectious disease. Patrons are not required to show proof of testing prior to attending our events.
- The proper wearing of face masks highly recommended for all individuals for all other indoor events at SMP.
- Please do not enter if you answer 'yes' to any of the COVID-19 health and safety questions recommended by the CDC.

SMP certified COVID Compliance Officers: Jeanne Marie Valleroy, Berrie Tsang, Todd McCraw, Pamela Winters

See here for SMP's current Policy for Infectious Disease Control.

STAFF
CEO: David Gordon
Associate Company Manager: Berrie Tsang
Interim Artistic Director: Gary Lamb
Technical Director: Todd McCraw
Production Manager: Jeanne Marie Valleroy
HR Manager and Volunteer Coordinator: Pamela Winters
Patron Services/Box Office Manager: Mary Baville
Special Projects/Operations/Box Office Manager: Ward Calaway
Bookkeeper/Accountant: Amelia Rose-Worfolk Lytton

Publicist: Philip Sokoloff
Grant Writer: Kristin Runnels
Development Associate: Deena Harros

Board of Directors
David Gordon, President
Eileen Walker, Treasurer
Frank Costello, Secretary
Ward Calaway
John Capoccia
Max Factor III
Judith Farrar
Paul Scranton
David Zeidberg

Council of Advisors
Steve Bruno
Estelle Campbell
Tim Dang
Ken Goldstein
John Gong
Suzanna Guzman
Lynda Jenner
Georgie Kajer
Alison Eliel Kalmus
Liza Kerrigan
Rich Procter, Off the Screen Film Series Curator
Mikala Rahn
Jaeda Snow
John Sparks

Asian American Cultural Alliance (AACA) Committee
Tim Dang, Co-chair
Ken Fong, Co-chair
John Gong, Co-chair
Berrie Tsang, Secretary
Lydia Chen Shah
Nicole Garcia
David Gordon
Wenli Jen
Linda Puchalski
Paul Scranton
Jeanne Marie Valleroy
Eileen Walker

SOCIAL CHANNELS
Facebook: @SierraMadrePlayhouse
Instagram: @sierra.madre.playhouse
YouTube: Sierra Madre Playhouse
Twitter: @S_M_Playhouse

Click here for information regarding rentals.
Click here for our statement on why what we do now matters.
Click here for our statement on anti-Asian violence.

History
The Sierra Madre Playhouse has evolved from a theatrical heritage that stretches back to the days when the Sierra Madre was just a tiny village. Residents presented dramas and musicals as early as the 1880s in their homes, in the Town Hall, and in the Woman's Club.

In 1910, the structure presently housing the Sierra Madre Playhouse was built and opened as Bergien Brothers Furniture and House Furnishing Establishment (and later became Bergien Undertaking and Furniture) until it closed in 1923. It reopened in 1924 as a movie theater, and was known as the “Wistaria Theater" (Sierra Madre is home to the largest wistaria vine in the world) until 1929 when it became the “Sierra Madre Theater.” During the ensuing years, the theater served as the focal point for the city's family entertainment options, whether as a movie house, an arcade, or most recently, a theatre.

When Charles Andrese and Cheryl Pertile founded a new Arcadia theatrical operation in 1980, it was initially called the "Playback Players" to reflect their intention to specialize in some of the older, classic plays. When they moved to the present location later that year, their premiere Sierra Madre production was "Moby Dick-Rehearsed," written by Orson Welles. Since this was hardly an "old classic," the group renamed itself the "Sierra Madre Playhouse." Soon, Stan Zalas came to the Playhouse as artistic director. He and Andrese, who became general manager, built a solid reputation for providing quality, family-friendly entertainment.

To support the theater, a small group of dedicated local citizens spearheaded a campaign in 1995 to assist the Playhouse, with George Enyedi and Lee and Barbara Cline playing lead roles. The Playhouse has been a nonprofit organization since it was organized as Arcadia Community Theater and incorporated in the state of California on December 1, 1955. [Nonprofit status approval by IRS was determined in May 1957.] There was a name change to PlayBack Players of Arcadia soon thereafter and on March 5, 1992 the name was officially changed to The Sierra Madre Playhouse.

From 2014-2021, Christian Lebano served as the Producing Artistic Director of Sierra Madre Playhouse, embarking the theater on an exciting new chapter with a focus on theater by American playwrights and launching the Theater for Young Audiences program. Under Lebano's tenure, the Sierra Madre Playhouse became a critically-acclaimed presenter of American theater and has been recognized with Ovation Awards, NAACP Awards, and foundation grants.

Presently, Sierra Madre Playhouse continues to serve its local community with live theater and other events that illuminate the diversity of the American experience.

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