The Lucie Stern Community Theatre is used by three local companies: TheatreWorks, Palo Alto Players, and West Bay Opera, which produce approximately 15 productions annually. In return, the companies collectively provide culturally enriching theatrical experiences for more than 45,000 audience members annually.
TheatreWorks was founded by San Francisco Bay Area native Robert Kelley in 1970 as a theatre arts workshop for teenage and college students. Chartered by the City to produce work that would reflect the concerns of the community during an unsettled period in American life, the company produced thirteen wholly original works for the stage in its first three years. Although company actors initially performed in a variety of venues, a tradition was established of staging several shows each season at the Lucie Stern Theatre. When the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts opened in 1991, the company began producing five main stage productions there each season, along with three productions each season at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. Phone: 650-463-1960
The Peninsula's first theatre company, Palo Alto Players, has been continuously producing professional-quality theatre with community talent in Palo Alto since 1931. Based at the Lucie Stern Theater, the company's artistic home since 1933, Palo Alto Players produces a diverse 5-show season of comedies, dramas, and musicals from September to June under the leadership of Artistic Director Patrick Klein and Managing Director Elizabeth Santana. This highly regarded non-profit theatre company has been a vital component in the development of theatrical arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. Phone: 650-329-0891
West Bay Opera was founded by Henry Holt in 1955. Originally called the Little Opera Guild, the company began presenting fully staged operatic performances. Under the leadership of Mr. Holt, who was succeeded by his wife, Maria Holt, and then by the present director, José Luis Moscovich, West Bay Opera has grown steadily. In 1974, the West Bay Orchestra was established. In 1982, the company acquired space for rehearsals, offices, a costume shop and storage on Lambert Avenue in Palo Alto. Annually, West Bay Opera presents three fully staged productions at the Lucie Stern Theatre. Phone: 650-424-9999