Actors’ Theatre

Founded in 1985, Actors’ Theatre has a long history of being a vital part of the greater Santa Cruz area’s theater community.

The company is known for its productions of contemporary, cutting-edge plays like The Mountaintop, Red, and Looking for Normal. It produced one of the first short play festivals in the U.S., which has become the 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival. Now the longest running short play festival in the country, it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020. The festival brings together the best talent from all the local theater companies and beyond.

Mission Statement

Serving Santa Cruz County since 1985, Actors’ Theatre supports, champions, and provides an outlet and venue for the performing arts.

Services

Actors' Theatre produces the acclaimed 8 Tens @ 8 Short Play Festival each year, which supports emerging and established playwrights from around the globe with full productions of their winning plays. Over the years it has represented thousands of talented theater artists and writers and is internationally recognized.
We also provide resources and a performance venue for theater and other performance artists to explore their creativity, develop their craft, and present their work to the community. Through our collaboration and partnerships with other performing art groups, we seek to create a stronger presence for theater in Santa Cruz County.
Cultivating and educating audiences and practitioners of the theatrical arts is also part of our mission, and we also offer workshops in acting, directing, improv and other topics, presented by the many skilled theater teachers in our community throughout the year.

History

Actors’ Theatre has a long and illustrious history contributing to the area’s cultural life by representing contemporary playwrights and producing new and exciting theater works for Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay audiences. Actors’ Theatre is greatly loved not only by the theater-going public, but also by the theater community as an outlet to develop their skills.

Founded as a non-profit theater company in 1985, Actors' Theatre has continually produced work representing hundreds of playwrights, designers, directors, and actors – as well as provided practical work experience for technical theater artists including lighting designers, set designers and builders, scenic artists, sound engineers, and costume designers.
Santa Cruz has a large, flourishing community of gifted writers, artists, performers and scholars whom we strive to represent and serve. We plan for a future in which we will continue to represent the finest in live theater and showcase work that will both inspire and delight our audiences for years to come.

From KSQD...

Art, Culture & Media Actors’ Theatre

Santa Cruz County Actors’ Theater Presents Powerful Local Drama: White Sky, Falling Dragon

04/08/2024

White Sky, Falling Dragon is a play in two acts by playwright, and Director, Steve “Spike” Wong. The play runs April 19 through May 5.

From Good Times...

Actors’ Theatre

I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghosts!

10/10/2023

Where do we go when we die? Is it a magical plane of existence located in the wisps of clouds? Or is it lurking just outside our visible senses? Are we able to communicate with the dead and can psychics get answers to questions we were never able to ask? Can the dead try to [...]

From Good Times...

Art & Culture Actors’ Theatre

Actors’ Theatre’s Pandemic Strategy Could Be Future of Stage Companies

01/11/2022

With Andrew Ceglio newly at the helm, iconic theater group takes ‘8 10s @ Eight’ virtual

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