An independent guide, house lights down

Small theatre in Los Angeles

An independent guide to intimate stages, 99-seat houses, the North Hollywood scene, auditions and the craft of acting, written for audiences and for anyone who wants to step into the light.

Raise the curtain Jump to the guides

An empty black box stage with one warm follow-spot beam crossing hazy air

Theatre in a room for fewer than a hundred people is close, quick and a little risky. This guide explains how that world works, in plain words and without selling a single ticket.

Curtain up

Three scenes, one stage

What small theatre is, where to find it, and how to get on stage yourself.

The play in three scenes

What counts as small theatre in LA
Small theatre in Los Angeles means plays and musicals staged in rooms built for an audience of a few dozen up to about a hundred, usually by independent companies, ensembles and visiting producers.
Intimate venues
Black boxes, storefronts and converted rooms where the first row is an arm's length from the actors. Sets are spare, so performance and writing carry the evening.
99-seat theatre
The size that shaped the city's stage culture. Union rules for houses of 99 seats or fewer changed in 2015, and they still decide who is on stage and how they are paid. Read about the 99-seat theatre and Equity waiver.
Where to see it
Small stages are spread across Los Angeles, but one neighbourhood gathers them on foot-friendly streets.
North Hollywood
What is North Hollywood famous for? The NoHo Arts District, set up in 1992, which its own website describes as home to more than 20 live professional theatres in about a square mile. Start with the North Hollywood theatre scene.
Hollywood
Hollywood and other neighbourhoods also have small houses, with programmes that change from month to month. There is no ranking of favourite companies here; use each theatre's own pages for what is on now.
Getting involved
You do not need an agent or a degree to take part in small theatre. You need a notice to read, a piece to prepare and a first yes.
Auditions
Open calls, appointments, sides and songs, and how Equity and non-Equity calls differ. See theatre auditions in Los Angeles.
Craft
Material, rehearsal, the room and nerves are covered in the audition tips, and complete beginners can read how to start in community theatre.

CUE SHEET

How the 99-seat plan got here

A short cue sheet of the dates that shaped small union theatre in Los Angeles. The full story is in the guide to the 99-seat theatre and Equity waiver.

CUE 011988
Plan created
The 99-seat plan comes out of the settlement of a lawsuit that actor-producers filed against their own union, Actors' Equity.
CUE 021992
A district is named
Business and theatre owners in North Hollywood, backed by the city's cultural affairs department, set up the NoHo Arts District.
CUE 036 Feb 2015
Equity proposes changes
Proposals include minimum wage for union actors in all rehearsals and performances.
CUE 0417 Apr 2015
Members vote no
In a non-binding referendum of Los Angeles Equity members, 66 percent of voters reject the proposals.
CUE 052015
The plan ends
Equity replaces the plan with a new 99-seat agreement and other rules, after a transition of 13 months.
CUE 0628 Jul 2025
Current agreement begins
The LA 99-Seat Agreement term now runs to 1 August 2027, according to Equity.