The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named for donor

David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 199 ...

. The current executive director is

Gil Cates Jr. Gil Cates Jr. (born October 4, 1969) is an American producer and director, and former actor. His 2006 documentary film ''Life After Tomorrow'', which he co-produced and directed with Julie Stevens, won awards for both Best Documentary and Best D ...

History

The Geffen Playhouse was built in 1929 as the ''Masonic Affiliates Club'', or the MAC, for students and alumni at UCLA. One of the first 12 structures built in Westwood Village, it was designed by architect

Stiles O. Clements Stiles Oliver Clements (March 2, 1883 – January 15, 1966) was an architect practicing in Los Angeles and Southern California. History Clements trained at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris. He was a key figure in the 1920s Art Deco archite ...

. Its courtyard fountain is a piece from

Malibu Potteries Malibu Potteries was a ceramic tile manufacturer in Malibu, California. Malibu Potteries was founded by Rhoda May Knight Rindge in 1926. A fire devastated the company 30 September 1931, and the company closed in 1932. Tile designs included influe ...

; the two patterns can be seen on and in

founder Rhoda May Knight Rindge's daughter's house, the Adamson House, which Clements designed (the same year he designed the Geffen) and for which Rindge provided the tile. The pattern on the lower tier of the Geffen's fountain appears in the Adamson House dining room, while the pattern on the upper tier can be seen on the east exterior face of the dining room, bordering a

Moorish The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a distinct or se ...

arch window. Originally named the Contempo Theatre, and later the Westwood Playhouse, the property was purchased by UCLA in 1993. UCLA's then chancellor, Charles E. Young, appointed

Gil Cates Gilbert Cates (né Katz; June 6, 1934 – October 31, 2011) was an American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, a member of Cates/Doty Productions, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Te ...

, founder and former president of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, as its producing director. The theater was renamed in 1995 after media mogul

donated $5 million, one of the largest philanthropic donations ever made to an already constructed theater. In 2002, the David Geffen Foundation made a $5-million lead gift towards an eventual $17-million capital campaign to renovate the theater, which was originally a Masonic lodge. The renovation gutted the theater while keeping its historical character. The Geffen reopened on November 16, 2005 with the main 500-seat theater retained and a new 125-seat Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theater added. In March 2010, the Playhouse's board of directors named the main stage the Gil Cates Theater. Geffen Playhouse founder Gil Cates Sr. died in October 2011. Gil Cates, Jr. was appointed executive director in 2004. Two funding drives followed, the Geffen Playhouse Legacy Fund and the Innovation Fund. The Geffen Playhouse offers five plays per season in the Gil Cates Theater and three plays per season in the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, as well as producing special events in both venues. The Playhouse is known for performances by film and television actors, including

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau (; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor and producer. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film '' Nightwatch'' (19 ...

, Idina Menzel, Andy Garcia, Dulé Hill,

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor, comedian, host and director. An Emmy and Tony winner, he is best known for his role as George Costanza in the television series '' Se ...

Debbie Allen Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an ...

, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Dana Delany, Roma Downey,

Peter Falk Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the long-running television series ''Columbo'' (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he ...

, Ginnifer Goodwin, Neil Patrick Harris, David Hyde Pierce, Carrie Fisher, Jane Kaczmarek, Alfred Molina, Rebecca Pidgeon,

George Segal George Segal Jr. (February 13, 1934 – March 23, 2021) was an American actor. He became popular in the 1960s and 1970s for playing both dramatic and comedic roles. After first rising to prominence with roles in acclaimed films such as ''Ship o ...

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He ...

Alicia Silverstone Alicia Silverstone ( ; born October 4, 1976) is an American actress. She made her film debut in the thriller ''The Crush (1993 film), The Crush'' (1993), earning the 1994 MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance, and gained further prom ...

, Rita Wilson, and

James Van Der Beek James William Van Der Beek (; born March 8, 1977) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery in the WB series ''Dawson's Creek'' and Johnny "Mox" Moxon in '' Varsity Blues'' (1999). He played a fictionalized version of hi ...

. In August 2017, Matt Shakman was appointed as the new artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Geffen Playhouse website

UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television website
* Ronald Frink Architects - (http://www.rfa-architects.com) {{Westwood, Los Angeles Theatres in Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles buildings and structures University of California, Los Angeles Performing groups established in 1993 Westwood, Los Angeles 1993 establishments in California David Geffen