The San Gabriel Mission Playhouse was constructed in 1927 for John Steven McGroarty’s Mission Play. The play told the story of Father Serra and the founding of the 21 California Missions. More than 2.5 million people saw The Mission Play during its 20 year run. After the play closed, the Mission Playhouse was used as a movie theater. During World War II, the Playhouse dressing rooms were turned into apartments. In 1947, the City of San Gabriel purchased, reopened, and renamed the theater as the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium. In 2007, the theater was renamed and once again called the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.

The Mission Playhouse has been the location for numerous commercials, TV shows, and films through the decades! Commercials for Chase Bank, Wrigley’s Gum, Toyota, Taco Bell, and Church’s Chicken have filmed at the Playhouse. The Playhouse can be seen in movies such as Fun with Dick and Jane and television shows including The Love Boat, Remington Steele, Documentary Now! starring Fred Armisen and Bill Hader, and Modern Family.

Notable personalities that have graced our stage include Duke Ellington, BB King, Tony Bennett, Pierce Brosnan, Geena Davis, Maya Rudolph, and Anne Hathaway.

Today, the Playhouse hosts beautiful ballets, enchanting symphonies, captivating concerts, classic film screenings, spectacular dance performances, and amazing Broadway shows. In Fall of 2014, the Playhouse launched Engage! a Community Engagement Program. Engage! events offer the public a way to connect with the arts, often for free. Events range from free outdoor summer concerts and movies to pre-concert talks, exhibitions, poetry readings, workshops, seminars, and silent film screenings.

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