HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 6614
City of Palo Alto (ID # 6614)
City Council Staff Report
Report Type: Special Orders of the Day Meeting Date: 3/21/2016
City of Palo Alto Page 1
Summary Title: Partnership Presentation: Palo Alto Players
Title: Community Partner Presentation: Palo Alto Players at the Lucie Stern
Community Theatre
From: City Manager
Lead Department: Community Services
Diana Lynn Berenstein and Patrick Klein, the Managing and Artistic Directors of Palo Alto
Players, will make a presentation with production images, outlining the Palo Alto Players’
upcoming season and their history in successfully staging great performances at the Lucie Stern
Theatre. A soloist will perform a selection from the theatrical production INTO THE WOODS.
Palo Alto Players became the Peninsula’s first theatre company in 1931 when a group of 100
like-minded citizens gathered together to create a theatre dedicated to its community. Initially,
productions were held at a makeshift performance space in the Palo Alto Community House
adjacent to the train station (now MacArthur Park Restaurant). Soon after, Lucie Stern invited
the Players to be the resident theatre company at the Community Theatre. In 1974, the
Community Players dissolved their ties with the Parks and Recreation Department, becoming
an independent company. Since that time, the City of Palo Alto has continued to support the
Palo Alto Players with performance, rehearsal and shop space.
Since that time, in partnership with the City, Palo Alto Players presents five fully staged
productions at the Lucie Stern Theatre. Palo Alto Players is one of the City’s three theatre
partners, along with Theatre Works and West Bay Opera. These partnerships provide high
quality performing arts programs for the community and the City provides the facilities at no
cost.