Note the theater (Theater of NOTE)

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In Los Angeles, where the theater houses are sweating back to back with one another and bad plays are to be seen much more often than the good ones, it’s hard to believe there’s still a theater out there, where bad reviews are still a tough find for even the very devoted researcher – so take note, because one has been discovered.

Theatre of NOTE is an enduring ensemble of diverse theatre artists, inspiring, informing, and igniting the audiences by discovering courageous voices and creating entertaining, provocative, and revelatory theatrical works. This adventurous resident company is housed in a hip space in the heart of grittiest Hollywood. The atmospheric venue typically displays edgy theater. Comfortable seats, good sight lines and safe, adjacent parking, high-ceilings, large space are pluses, but the steady stream of new one-act and full-length plays are the real attraction.

Forty-nine seat Theatre of NOTE is a non-profit, democratic company dedicated primarily to exploring the theatrical event through original work. Founded in 1981, NOTE began as a courageous and exciting forum for actors to collaborate with new playwrights. Since then, through many changes of leadership, structure, and venue, NOTE has successfully maintained the original ideal, producing some of the most inventive and critically acclaimed theatre in Los Angeles. This ensemble-based organization is providing a creative environment in which to collaborate on and develop theater works of the individual quality. They’ve earned consistent commendation from the Los Angeles press and national acclaim from such publications as American Theatre magazine, as well as dozens of accolades, nominations and honors from every award-granting theater alliance in Southern California.

Theatre of NOTE is a professional theatre company that works with interns from college and high school arts programs and holds new member auditions twice a year, since most of NOTE casting is done from within the company membership. When it comes to creating a production -- Directing, Designing, Producing and Stage Managing – these jobs are often filled from outside the company.

NOTE produces an average of four mainstage shows a year, with a focus on world, West Coast, California and Los Angeles premieres as well as the famous annual Hollywood Performance Marathon, late night original 5-Minute One-Act Play Series, the NOTEworthy new play development workshops, and the educational outreach program The Young Writers Project.

NOTEworthy is Theatre of NOTE's staged reading series, established to foster relationships with playwrights as they develop new works. The playwrights chosen for this series do attend a staged reading of their works-in-progress and participate in a talkback with the cast and audience, giving the playwright an opportunity to make revisions based on this feedback. Past NOTEworthy readings have included: Red Light, Green Light by Erik Patterson, Zeppelin ! by Bill Robens , Lydia in Bed by Phinneas Kiyomura, And the Two Romeos by Jennifer Maisel, Dirt by Alex Dremann, Brandohead by Chris Danowski and Film by Pat McGowan. A good few of them became a part of NOTE’s mainstage season.

The Young Writers Project is a seven-year old artistic community outreach project produced for Theatre of NOTE by Jonathan Klein. Each year four high schools are chosen to participate in a workshop-based writing experiment that culminates in the staged production of four short plays, one play representing each school.


In July 2009 Theatre of NOTE's "Season Of Longing" continues. The team that brought us The Poseidon Adventure: the Musical and A Mulholland Christmas Carol brings NOTE another World Premiere with Bill Robens' skewed take on film noir...KILL ME, DEADLY!, based in 1948’s Hollywood criminal story of a dick…a dame… a diamond.

“As eternally cool as it is, film noir, with its supercharged style and general seriousness almost begs to be deflated -- and playwright Bill Robens answers the call. In a voice redolent of cigarette smoke and wailing saxophone, "Kill Me, Deadly," has great fun with the genre stereotypes, including a tough gumshoe whose secretary is a much better detective than he is. The world premiere production at Theater of NOTE succeeds on all levels, from its lush look to Kiff Scholl's inspired direction, and its cast, with assorted thugs and a deeply duplicitous dame, is hilarious and superb.” – writes Terry Morgan for Variety.

And now, from the audience member : Cutting edge, stimulating theater. A wonderful balance of talent in front of the curtain and behind. The consistency of the artistry displayed is inspiring. Always a reviving evening. Standing applause for Theatre of NOTE.