Performing Arts

The arts scene in Los Angeles extends beyond the screen and onto the stage. A place of artistic innovation and history, one can discover new and challenging theatrical works across L.A. stages, while the city still maintains a respect for tradition with its restored theaters and classic plays. See live music at impeccably designed amphitheaters like the Hollywood Bowl or listen in on captivating lectures by authors and directors at various intimate spaces. In homage to the city's roots as a filmmaking mecca, there are also retrospectives and rare screenings in movie theaters all over the city, often followed by Q&As with the cast.

L.A.'s arts scene is varied and caters to all budgets and tastes. East West Players at the David Henry Hwang Theatre focuses on Asian American–themed plays, and if an opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion seems out of your price range, Actors’ Gang in Culver City offers a free Shakespeare play in Media Park in the summer. The Independent Shakespeare Co. hosts a free Shakespeare festival in Griffith Park, also during summer.

Temperate weather allows for an extended season of outdoor events. Enjoy a classic summer picnic listening to the L.A. Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl or watching a play outdoors at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater.

American Cinematheque, showing classic and independent films, operates out of the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, as well as the historic Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.