Costa Mesa Playhouse

About us:
The Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse is a 73-seat, not-for-profit, Community Theater that has been serving greater Orange County for over 40 years. The Playhouse is dedicated to presenting affordable, quality, live theater in a comfortable and intimate setting, and to offering the talented actors, singers, dancers, and stage craftspeople of Orange County a welcoming environment in which to practice their craft. With a season running from September through June and four productions per season, the Playhouse offers a diverse array of plays and musicals to our theatergoing public.

The Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse operates under the stewardship of a volunteer Board. All board officers and members donate their time in support of the overall organization and also act as producers for individual productions. Most of the behind the scenes duties at the theater, including set construction, facility maintenance, and ticketing/reservations to name just a few, are performed by the Board and a small group of community volunteers.

Funding is provided by revenues generated by ticket sales, generous donations from our patrons, and the various fundraisers the Board organizes throughout the season. The Playhouse receives an in-kind donation from the City of Costa Mesa for the use of our facility at the Rea School campus, but receives no monetary support from the city. All revenues are directed back into the productions at the Playhouse and toward general operating costs. Donations are greatly appreciated, and you can volunteer to help. Getting involved with the theater is a great way to contribute to your community

In general, the majority of funds for a production are focused on securing the rights to the show, set construction/materials, costumes, production staff fees (director, musical director, choreographer, set design, lighting design), and when possible, advertising. When musicians are hired, they are generally professionals and require payment. Since funds are extremely limited, the cast, crew, and producers receive no compensation for their time, energy, and dedication to each production.

Despite the limited availability of funds, whenever possible, the Playhouse strives to give back to the community. Some of the ways we are able to do that is by offering the use of our space to community groups for theater related activities such as acting classes or rehearsals, donation of free performances to local school children and their families along with in-class sessions related to the piece being performed, and donation of a portion of our proceeds to community groups relating to our productions such as veterans groups or AIDS organizations. While financial obligations do not always allow us to do everything we want, we enjoy being creative in finding ways to give back.