Our Story

As one of the nation’s largest and most influential not-for-profit theatre companies, we proudly continue our nearly 60-year tradition of using the art of theatre to broaden horizons and illuminate new perspectives. 

Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson led Center Theatre Group from 1967–2004, followed by Michael Ritchie who served as the organization's second Artistic Director until 2021. In 2023, Snehal Desai was named the third and current Artistic Director of Center Theatre Group. 

Actors rehearse a play inside the rehearsal room. Three actors stand within a circle with their arms out, while three other actors sit outside the circle.

Our Curtain Rises in 1967

A photo of a brightly lit building at night with many people walking around the outside in a blur

Ahmanson Theatre

The Ahmanson Theatre opened in 1967 and has staged a wide variety of dramas, musicals, comedies, classic revivals, and world premieres (including six by Neil Simon, who has had 13 plays presented here).

Under the artistic leadership of Robert Fryer (1971–1989), the Ahmanson played host to a veritable who’s who in the entertainment world including Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, Ingrid Bergman, Charlton Heston, Angela Lansbury, and Peter Ustinov. In 1989, Center Theatre Group Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson assumed the role of Artistic Director for the Ahmanson and was responsible for programming The Phantom of the Opera for a record-breaking four-year stay. The Ahmanson has been home to a number of musicals that moved to Broadway, including The Drowsy Chaperone (13 Tony Award nominations), Curtains (eight Tony nominations), Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations (12 Tony nominations), and 9 to 5: The Musical (four Tony nominations), as well as blockbuster shows including God of Carnage, Mary Poppins, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lehman Trilogy, Hadestown, and Jersey Boys.

A night view of the Mark Taper Forum Theatre and it's reflection pool.

Mark Taper Forum

In the spring of 1967, Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson opened the Mark Taper Forum with The Devils, a controversial and thought-provoking play that set the tone for the work to come at the Taper.

Taper highlights have included a number of world premieres, such as 13, which moved to Broadway, Pulitzer Prize finalist Marjorie Prime, Water & Power, and Pulitzer Prize finalist Yellow Face, as well as the first major U.S. revival of Bent and the west coast premiere of Slave Play.

The Taper has received virtually every theatrical award including the 1977 special Tony Award for theatrical excellence. Additionally, the Taper was distinguished by having two of its plays, The Kentucky Cycle and Angels in America (Part One—Millennium Approaches), receive the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in consecutive years, marking the first time this prestigious award was given to productions outside of New York. Both plays subsequently moved to Broadway.

A front view of the Kirk Douglas Theatre midday.

Kirk Douglas Theatre

In 2004, Center Theatre Group opened its third theatre—the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City—through the generosity of Kirk and Anne Douglas and with the help of the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. The theatre was created by transforming a historic 1940s movie house into an intimate theatre venue of 317 seats. In its relatively short history, the Douglas has had four works move to Broadway: the world premieres of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Pulitzer Prize finalist Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, the revival of William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba, and Lucas Hnath's Dana H. Most recently, the Douglas has been home to family friendly plays and musicals, such as the box office-smashing TheaterWorksUSA production of Dog Man: The Musical.