Celebrating 36 Years
Celebrating 36 years, Actors’ Playhouse a Florida Presenting Cultural Organization and one of thirteen major cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County, is a producer of critically acclaimed dramatic and musical theatre. The private nonprofit professional theatre organization presents a full season of Mainstage and Children’s programs and extensive educational outreach and community service. Actors’ Playhouse is a proud recipient of South Florida’s Theatre Company of the Year Award presented by the Carbonell Committee for overall season excellence and community outreach.
The mission of Actors’ Playhouse is to enrich South Florida’s cultural vitality with the highest caliber classic and contemporary live theatre productions; to provide comprehensive educational and outreach programs to multi-cultural audiences; to provide a supportive and creative work environment for Florida-based theatre professionals; to encourage the creation and production of new works for adults and children; and to maintain the historic identity of its home venue, the Miracle Theatre.
Established in 1988, the company was in a converted Kendall movie theatre for its first seven years. In 1995, Actors’ Playhouse entered a partnership with the City of Coral Gables to renovate the historic Miracle Theatre, transforming the splendid Art Deco facility into the company’s new home. In exchange for free rent under a 45-year lease, Actors’ Playhouse bears full responsibility for operating the city-owned facility, managing all programs, and raising all necessary funds for operations and capital improvements. The renovation of the Miracle Theatre was made possible with support from the State of Florida, Miami-Dade County, and many generous corporate and private donors. The historic landmark hosts a 600-seat, a 300-seat, and a100-seat space.
Actors’ Playhouse has produced more than 180 Mainstage productions including Broadway and Off-Broadway style musicals, mystery/thrillers, comedies, and new works, and over 170 Children’s Theatre productions. Actors’ Playhouse has received and has won 90 Carbonell Awards for artistic excellence. The Children’s Musical Theatre is continually voted “Best of the Best” KIDS CROWN AWARD by South Florida Parenting Magazine. In addition to Mainstage and Children’s year-round programming, the theatre has a Theatre Conservatory, offering classes to children, teens, and adults, as well as a summer camp; a Kids Fest Weekend, and sponsors the annual Young Talent Big Dreams countywide youth talent contest in partnership with The Children’s Trust.
The theatre’s excellent artistic reputation generates licensing agreements for the newest work from New York like the Pre-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, Neil Sedaka’s Breaking Up Is Hard to Do! and Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables. The theatre also presents world premiere works like Real men, the Musical, recently playing at New World Stages in New York, the world premier musical Havana Music Hall.
Partnerships with the public schools provide educational resources for students and teachers with special programs for at-risk individuals. Performance, technical, and arts business administration internships are offered in partnership with the Dade Schools, Florida International University University of Miami, and other regional colleges and universities. Interns receive extensive professional experience in arts administration, technical theatre, and performance and are often employed by the theatre after graduation.
Actors’ Playhouse serves a multi-cultural audience of residents in South Florida and is a cultural destination for domestic and international travelers to Miami. Programming is developed to appeal to audiences of diverse ages, ethnicity, and cultural background. Over 2,500,000 children have experienced cultural and educational experiences through Actors’ Playhouse programs for youth. Sixteen percent of our tickets are contributed to students and individuals each year to attend live theatrical performances.
Actors’ Playhouse seeks support from the public for its operations and its endowment program. The organization is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization. Sponsorships and donations are available through our development department.
