Tacoma: On Stage

Theatre District - Tacoma's vibrant theatre district includes two historic theatres, the Pantages and Rialto, and one state-of-the-art venue in Theatre on the Square. Located in the heart of downtown on (aptly) Broadway, the Theatre District also includes a central park with a wonderful fountain and views of Mount Rainier. The Theatre District includes many public art elements, from a series of international masks installed on surrounding buildings, to monumental sculptures in front of the theatres, to the Woolworth Windows, a cutting-edge new venue for installation art maintained by the City of Tacoma.


Pantages Theater - Originally built as a vaudeville house in 1918 by Alexander Pantages as part of his nationwide theater empire, this lavish creation was inspired by the theater in France's opulent Palace of Versailles. W.C. Fields, Mae West, Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers once played here. Restored to its original grandeur, the Pantages now serves as one of the performing arts centers in the Pacific Northwest for national and international touring artists. It features drama, dance and comedy performances as well as the Tacoma Symphony, Tacoma Philharmonic, Tacoma Opera and BalleTacoma.


Rialto Theater - The jewel box Rialto Theater also opened in 1918 with a Beaux Arts decor that was renovated in 1991. It is now the home of the 250-member Tacoma Youth Symphony, drawing from 85 different regional schools. It performs free to the public several times a year. The theater also hosts the Northwest Sinfonietta chamber orchestra.


Theatre on the Square - The home of Tacoma Actors Guild (TAG. It draws from classics and new works to produce six plays annually ranging from dramas to musicals to comedies. Performances by TAG are notable for their intimacy - seats here are close to the stage, affordable and the "come as you are" ethic makes theatre accessible to everyone. It is building its audience base through engaging programming such as "Brew Pub Previews" - the Friday before opening night, TAG invites patrons to sample local microbrews and northwestern appetizers before seeing the show.