On July 23, the Sierra Madre Playhouse was officially granted historical landmark designation by a Resolution of the City Council. This prestigious recognition is a testament to the rich history and cultural significance that the beloved Playhouse has brought to the community for over 100 years.
On February 2, 1924, what had been a furniture store reopened as the Wistaria Theater, showing silent movies. It was converted for the talkies and remained in operation for nearly half a century before becoming a theater in the 1970s. The Playhouse’s new iteration as a performing arts center will include silent films with piano accompaniment, making the Playhouse one of the rare buildings in the world that showed movies a century ago and still does so today.
About Sierra Madre Playhouse
Sierra Madre Playhouse is a vibrant Southern California cultural hub with a rich history spanning a century, that energizes audiences and the community with distinctive theatrical productions and captivating live performances. Hailed as a “jewel” by Pasadena Weekly, it has garnered accolades for its varied repertoire and thought-provoking education and outreach programs curated with social impact in mind.
The intimate 99-seat Sierra Madre Playhouse offers an up-close and personal connection to performances that resonate deeply. It has earned multiple Ovation Awards, NAACP Awards, and LA Times Critics’ Choice honors. In 2023, Rep. Judy Chu named the Sierra Madre Playhouse as a leading ‘Nonprofit of the Year’ in the San Gabriel Valley. The playhouse was given the honor during the 2023 Congressional Leadership of the Year Awards, which recognizes the leadership and volunteerism in the cities making up California’s 28th Congressional District. It is nestled into a historic building on the Main Street of Sierra Madre, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The Playhouse retains its distinctive movie theater façade and instantly recognizable marquee. The structure has undergone many transformations since opening in 1910, from furniture emporium to silent movie theatre to the artistic institution that now stands as a vibrant embodiment of the region’s rich cultural legacy. The Sierra Madre Playhouse fosters creativity that aspires to bridge divides and spark dialogue, all while celebrating the rich tapestry of the American experience and the enduring pursuit of shared understanding.
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