The Colony Theatre Company was founded in 1975 by a
group of young Los Angeles television actors eager to return to their
theatre roots. It was to remain in residence at the 99-seat Studio Theatre
Playhouse in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles for the next 25 years.
During that time, through steadfast commitment to professional quality
in its productions, as well as smart marketing, the company built the
largest subscriber base of any small theatre in the area. By the early
90s, Colony shows were virtually sold out before they opened, and the
company began looking for a larger home.
After several years of searching, they came upon a vacant building owned
by the City of Burbank. Formerly a museum, the building contained a large
lobby, an exhibit hall with high ceilings, and – a miracle – no columns. It
was a perfect space to be converted to a mid-size theatre. In 1995, along
with a number of other organizations vying for the building, The Colony
submitted its proposal to the Burbank City Council. In January of 1996,
the Council awarded the building to The Colony, and allocated city funds
to convert it to a state-of-the-art performance space. After four years
devoted to design and construction, the company moved into its new Burbank
home in 2000, and became a fully operating Equity-contract theatre. The
spacious yet intimate facility features stadium seating with a clear view
of the thrust stage from every seat, an elegant but comfortable lobby,
many restaurants within walking distance, and plenty of safe, free parking.
Thus, over the years, the theatre has evolved from a small local ensemble
into a well-established, award-winning, nationally recognized company,
renowned for the extremely high quality of its productions. It has received
countless awards for excellence, and has been listed for the past 7 years
in the Encyclopedia Britannica Almanac as one of “25 Notable US Theater
Companies.”
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