Just went and saw a Twelfth Night it was a fabulous show. Loved every minute of it! Come early, Park, bring a picnic, eat and then go see the show it's a beautiful place amazing space in a Grove of oak trees
This is a gem of a place. Worth the trip to California. We went to see a concert and fell in love with the place. Out side and in the woods with a stage and bleacher style seating, sits a lovely venue for music and plays. Do yourself a favor and stop there at least once. It is worth the trip and you won't be disappointed.
Awesome space! We saw The Crucible and it was really well done. The stage is in the woods, constructed over a wash. There are other cool areas for picnics and chilling in nature.
It was a fun evening of entertainment under a cool crisp sky a clear night under moon & star's wear warm clothes as it gets cold
Wonderful folksy venue..just the way Shakespeare's works are made to be seen and witnessed as you become enveloped as the puzzle pieces of the play lie leading just within your reach. I love this theater.
Didn't catch a show here but a neat looking outdoor theatre during the day. I plan on going back sometime.
GREAT PLACE!!! That's an AWESOME Date night!! The atmosphere is Gorgeous...rigth in the midst of the Topanga Canyon...
Beautiful location, very reminiscent if Shakespeare Santa Cruz.
I'm so glad to have found this outdoor theater that our local library hosted a couple years ago. The grounds are beautiful, the staff is super helpful, and the play was very well done. We will be back again for sure. :)
Magical outdoor theatre space in the forest of huge oaks. Seen a handful of productions through my decade and almost a half if living in Topanga. Great spot to picnic at their tables before heading in to.the theatre. Very unique environment for an LA theatre experience. Really not a bad seat in the house.
A wonderful, hidden jewel in the Topanga canyon ! This place hosts students for interactive field trips based on theatre / drama, so schools and educators, check it out !
Nice place for outdoor Shakespearen theater under the trees.
I went with the 5 show package. I've just spent my second Sunday afternoon at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Two of the most, wonderful, beautiful Sunday afternoons you could ever experience.
They offer an enchanting school field trip. Fabulous and dedicated staff.
Very cheerful staff made for theatre set in nature. My whole family enjoyed themselves and my daughter loved going to camp! We will be back next summer for sure.
This is a beautiful place! The theater is outdoors so in the cooler months dress with layers.
The show was superb. But why 3 stars? The seats are horrendous, hurts you like hell. The cushions are available for a fee. If you are cheap like me, bring a blanket or a sweatshirt to sit on. The concession stand had very limited selections, not exactly the best stuff for a good price.
We had an amazing time at Midsummer Night's Dream. The cast did a superb job, the outdoor theater was clean and shaded to keep the sun out (we saw the 4 pm showing) and all of the support staff was super friendly.
Tips and Things To Know:
The seats are not padded. You can rent a cushion for $2, or do like we did and bring pillows to sit on.
No food or drinks are allowed in the theater, but you can bring water in.
There are snacks available at concessions for good prices, but you won't have much time to eat during intermission. If you're hungry, eat before coming to the show.
The line for the box office can get long, so even if your tickets are Will Call, show up early to grab them.
Seating is first come, first serve. There are two tiers, but if you want to get great seats, show up early!
There is a parking lot, which costs $7, but it fills up fast. If it is full, you can park on the side of Topanga / the 27 and walk in for free.
Really looking forward to seeing another performance by these amazing players!
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This outdoor theater is set in the middle of a woodsy circle in Topanga Canyon.
It looks like summer camp with campfire and picnic areas, concession stands and restrooms with wood everywhere.
The outdoor theater is up a pathway and stairs, to a double-tiered seating area.
On the way in there's a pillow stand at $2 each. Many patrons were also BYOP'g.
I definitely bought my FIRST pillow.
The upper tier is $26, lower tier is $42. No promo codes for this show. Upper tier means sit on cement benches and backs, lower tier is wood
The show Enemy of the People was nearly 2 hours. While the acting was pretty good, my buns were screaming in protest. After flinching around for 75 minutes I added my jacket and then bought pillow #2.
The concession stand had good coffee and related offerings. The bathroom is well stocked, however the doors swing in and it's gymnastics to get out of the stall.
Finally the sun literally set on the show (outdoor theater) and it came to an end.
I don't think there's a pillow thick enough to convince me to return. The staff was good, the actors as well. And the overall look is quite appealing. However, if the seating is so rock hard you can hardly focus on the play, then I'll pass.
Maybe they had too many dozing patrons in the past....hmmm....
A hidden gem in the SFV. I love the history of this place.
The best Shakespeare in LA bar none. This place will enchant and amaze you. Bring a picnic and eat on the grounds before the show.
An excellent theatre company in an ideal outdoor setting. Always among the best Shakespeare productions in LA. Their recent Coriolanus was absolutely terrific.
I m really glad I got to experience this place. Very personal. Amazing out door setting.
A lovely space with personality and texture and wonderful giving people who run the location. Not what I expected.
A gem of a theater in our back yard. Never disappoints.
A great little outdoor theatre tucked into the sidehills of the Topanga Canyon. Plays and concerts.
I was really impressed with the performance's here. Will see more shows, a true gem of LA... Thank you Mr. Geer may your legacy live on; RIP...
The people there are fantastic at doing what they love... Acting! It was such a pleasant experience to be able to see them perform Twelfth Night in an open, outdoorsy space! They were all incredibly welcoming too!
What a beautiful theater! I loved house the play was done all around us. The whole experience waf lovely!
Have been here multiple times both for Shakespeare plays and comedy shows. The children really liked shakespeare, which was impressive. You are so close to the stage you get more involved than in a large theater.
Bringing theatre alive in the natural surroundings of the canyon.
Seen midsummer night's dream here, get to interact with the actors and it was a great experience, highly recommended for school field trip or fun family event.
Fun place
Great acting.
What's better than seeing Shakespeare performed live, outdoors amongst the trees? Not much! This is a beautiful outdoor venue.
TALpanga 2019 . Created by Butch Walker The Autumn Leaves Project was created to Support those with Pancreatic Cancer.
This venue is a hidden gem tucked away in the wilderness of Topanga canyons. I wouldn't have known about this place if it weren't for Yelp providing me and my plus 1 to go watch Lear.
Parking is available for $5, which was a lifesaver because we had gotten lost (missed a turn). We brought a picnic prior to the show. Lots of open space, trashcans/recycling, and there's even a snack booth with great prices!
Seats are pretty much first come first serve. We didn't have a preference of seating so we found seats at 7:59pm at the top middle, last row of the wooden seats with backrests.
The performers were awesome, really projected their voice throughout the show. I also liked how they weren't stationary to the stage, they moved throughout the theater, including the sides. My favorite part was the trap door that was on the stage, I didn't notice until the end when it was utilized.
The weather was chilly for June, be sure to bring blankets and dress accordingly. My experience was lovely and I hope to be back in the near future!
It's a beautiful venue. It's easy enough to get to. The stage is very nice. And the performance I saw was quite good. Not really brilliant, but they did a good job. It's worth a trip out.
Fabulous theatrical performances - best version of Shakespeare's A Midsummers Night Dream I have ever seen. Facility itself is very worn and sadly in need of some love. Dinner service purchased with play ran out of main course before all guests were served, and comments were made that It was a recurring problem.
It was amazing! Just saw Katherine James and Alan Blumenfeld in The Gin Game. Small theatre in the shade. Stellar performances by husband and wife team.
Drama in the outdoors is an excellent way to spend an evening in LA
All the world's a stage. But few parts of the world are as nice as this...
Stumbled upon this awesome theater. Wish I could attend a show.
If you like Shakespeare it is the best place to see it. Outside venue. I do wish they got a projector and showed movies on a canvas screen or something to that effect. Movie screenings under the trees and stars would be cool.
Marvelous acting! Exotic setting, wonderful story!!
THE BEST outdoor theatre entertainment in the CANYON
Always love to come here. Top tier performances and settings.
Great open air theatre with many picnic tables available to use before the show
Great natural setting, awesome historical tradition and innovative performances and programming.
Amazing theatre tucked away in the heart of Topanga Canyon
L.A.'s longest running professional rep company is still playing to packed houses after 40 years - and little wonder. The acting is superb and the outdoor performance space enchants under a canopy of oak trees. Comedy, classics, Shakespeare and music, Theatricum offers it all and does it well. That theater's gardens are a great place to picnic before the show. Summertime in L.A. isn't complete without a trip to Theatricum.
Beautiful space to watch excellent theater. Drive isnt bad from North Hollywood. Guve yourself plenty of time to park and explore the property. Thumbs up for the Shakespeare Intensive, for you actors out there!
A magical venue for outdoor theater. Especially ''A Midsummer night's dream'.
Love the outdoor ambience. Good shows. Ez parking for $5. Nice people
I had so much fun! I went with my school, Canoga Park High School, and we did lots of activities. We learned how to do stage combat and how to do other stage acts. The play at the end was great! I really recommend going!
Very unique fun place to come. First come first serve seating. Parking is limited in the lot but you can park on Topanga for free.
It is a beautiful place. The actors are great. It can be pretty cold.
Very nice relaxing place. Its a nice place for people like adventure. This place is located on Topanga canyon which has very nice weather and good place to sit and relax. There are shows going on every week but I never checked them . Next time will go there to check the shows since I know a lot of people going only for shows over there. Check it out
Seen many wonderful shows here. So beautiful in the canyon, under the oaks, and close to the spirit of social justice heroes Will Geer and Woody Guthrie , who built the theater.
A Midsummer Night's Dream was a wonderful production, with top-notch performances, great costumes, and complementary sound effects and staging. It was a small house, so we sat in the lower tier even though we paid for upper tier seats (which would also have been good seats, but it would have been difficult to hear as the actors don't seem to be mic'ed).
It was an evening performance, and though it was August, we were chilly and grateful to have brought blankets and sweaters. Regardless of where you sit, you should bring a seat cushion. The lower tier has wooden benches, while the upper tier is concrete. If you forget, cushions may be rented for $2.
We parked on the street so it was a short walk. There is a small picnic area which we also used.
Truly a wonderful place to see quality Shakespeare.
I used to go every year in middle school as a field trip for theater and I loved it! had a lot of fun memories there
Marvelous. The show, the actors, the design; enchanting. But, I find myself most taken with the grounds. First off, there's a gorgeous old tree growing right in the center of the main stage, theyre so clever working it in. The garden and picnic area feel public and private, somehow. I think it's because you can see all the people around you, who have come to see theater, but the hills make it feel separate from the rest of the world. I can't wait to see the next one.
I enjoyed August 20, 2017 here. The weather and atmosphere was amazing:)
A magical setting for summer theatre. The amphitheater is set within the canyon, amid trees and gardens, muddling the line between stage and audience. This environment enlarges and intensifies the limits of stage space.
Don't want to give too much away, the action sequences are big... No one's holding back physically.. it's swashbuckling time.. for everyone ..it's melee time. Plays and performances have been satisfying, but it's the fight stagecraft and the beauty of the theater that keeps me coming back.
Theatricum Botanicum is a unique place, not only because they stage Shakespear and other plays in open air stage, but because they offer summer camps for children, host weddings and donate their space for local community events. They have been serving the Topanga community for many years.
This place is amazing. Their performances are top notch. The theater itself is spectacular (bring a warm jacket and maybe a blanket to evening shows). The outdoor theater is wonderful. Oh and they also have classes!
Charming location and a charming company in rep there.
I trekked all the way from the east side at a friend's insistence that this would be worth the trip. It was!
We arrived about 6:30 and spread our the food and drink we brought and joined the countless other groups enjoying the day darken among the oak covered hills. That part along would have been worth five stars. It's a beautiful, quiet place and perfect for a picnic and conversation.
But there's more ... theatre. As night feel, we packed up and went into the amphitheatre for a performance of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. The space is warm and intimate - and feels like an extension of the nature it sits in. A great spot off seeing a piece of theatre.
There is a small snack bar that opens a little before the performance and during intermission, but I recommend coming and picnicing beforehand. (And bring a cushion ... the benches in the amphitheatre are hella hard and your butt will thank you.)
Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is a renowned outdoor repertory theater located in Los Angeles, California. It is a cultural heritage of the city and has been entertaining audiences for over 45 years. The theater presents an array of plays ranging from Shakespearean classics to contemporary works.
Theatricum Botanicum was founded by Will Geer, an American actor best known for his role as Grandpa Walton in the popular TV series "The Waltons." He was also a political activist and advocate for social justice. In 1973, he purchased land in Topanga Canyon with the intention of creating an outdoor theater that would showcase his love for Shakespearean plays.
Today, Theatricum Botanicum covers over 10 acres of land and features five unique performance spaces. The main stage is a natural amphitheater that can accommodate up to 299 guests. There are also smaller stages scattered throughout the property that offer more intimate settings for performances.
One of the most unique aspects of Theatricum Botanicum is its commitment to environmental sustainability. All performances take place outdoors surrounded by lush gardens and trees, which not only provide a beautiful backdrop but also help reduce carbon emissions associated with traditional indoor theaters.
In addition to its commitment to sustainability, Theatricum Botanicum is dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusivity within its productions. They have produced several plays featuring diverse casts and themes that explore issues such as race, gender identity, and social justice.
The theater's repertoire includes classic Shakespearean plays such as "Romeo & Juliet," "Hamlet," "Macbeth," and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." They also produce contemporary works like August Wilson's "Fences" or Tony Kushner's "Angels in America."
Apart from theatrical productions, Theatricum Botanicum offers various educational programs designed to inspire young artists interested in pursuing careers in performing arts. These programs include summer camps for children aged between 4-17 years old where they can learn acting skills while enjoying nature at the same time.
In conclusion, Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is one of Los Angeles' most treasured cultural institutions offering world-class theatrical productions set amidst stunning natural surroundings while promoting environmental sustainability and inclusivity through their work on stage.
theatricum.com
