The Coronado Playhouse is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, marking eight decades as San Diego\u2019s longest-running community theatre, producing musicals and plays in Coronado since 1946.<\/p>\n
Current Board President Marc Caro-Willcox, a professional actor and theatre arts teacher in San Diego, told me the Playhouse\u2019s roots in Coronado run deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoronado Playhouse started as the Coronado Players, a group of residents who performed using the Coronado High School auditorium,\u201d he explained. \u201cSince then, the Coronado Playhouse upgraded to a Quonset hut, Navy barracks, and finally, their current stage: The Coronado Community Playhouse, at the Community Center.\u201d No matter the location, the Coronado Playhouse (CPH) has continued to produce shows every year since 1946.<\/p>\n
Caro-Willcox\u2019s own connection to the theatre began early. He grew up in San Diego and started performing in musicals at just seven years old. \u201cI was lucky to train with a wide range of theatre artists, which fostered my passion for theatre,\u201d he said. After teaching in San Francisco, he moved back to San Diego, where a friend drew him into the Coronado Playhouse community. \u201cA friend, the late Mike Anthony, asked me to join a production of Seussical The Musical at Coronado Playhouse. I reconnected with Desha Crownover, who would soon become the President of CPH. I never thought being on a board of directors would be in my future, but when brilliant artists like Mike and Desha ask you to join them, you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the Playhouse marks its 80th year, Caro-Willcox says the celebration is focused squarely on the people it serves. \u201cThe Playhouse has committed to the community for our 80th Anniversary. The board is excited to produce a season where the titles were chosen based on input from subscribers and members of the theatre.\u201d That community-driven season includes the highly requested musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, opening April 10th.<\/p>\n
Classic titles are also part of the anniversary lineup. \u201cArsenic and Old Lace is another returning play this season, having previously been produced in 1990 and 1998,\u201d Caro-Willcox noted. Looking ahead, he added that the 2026 season will be the first time CPH has ever tackled the Sondheim musical, Into The Woods\u2026 \u201cA show we know the Coronado audience will love just as much as the returning classics.\u201d Members and subscribers can also look forward to curated events and gifts during the anniversary season\u2019s shows.<\/p>\n
Caro-Willcox credits Coronado residents with sustaining the Playhouse across generations. He told me that this long-term success is not just due to ticket sales but also to the many other ways the community has supported the theater over the years, right down to helping CPH find its current location. \u201cThe Coronado community deserves thanks for the Playhouse\u2019s long-running success\u2026The residents of Coronado are the reason the theatre venue exists; they campaigned for the Coronado Playhouse when plans for the current Community Center were being drawn up.\u201d<\/p>\n
He described the Playhouse as both a producing organization and a creative home. It is not only a venue that creates top-quality shows, but also a place where artists feel encouraged to bring their best selves into the room to collaborate, celebrate, and perform together. \u201cIt is a place where people want to return to work,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Over 80 years, the theatre has evolved alongside its audience and the wider industry. \u201cOne of CPH\u2019s commitments is to: \u2018Preserve the integrity of our creative intentions while meeting the needs of evolving social landscapes,\u2019\u201d Caro-Willcox explained. \u201cWe strive to be a space where all who come through our doors feel safe and valued. From the patron, to the actor, to the painter, to the usher. We are consistently watching how the theatre industry is growing and following suit.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, some core aspects remain unchanged. One constant is the theater\u2019s welcoming environment, a place where emerging artists can \u201chone their craft, build their resume, create connections, and get on the path to working professionally in the theater industry,\u201d Caro-Willcox said. He points to CPH\u2019s lasting impact on artists across San Diego. \u201cI speak to my colleagues in the professional theatres around San Diego who remember performing at the Coronado Playhouse when there \u2018was a pole in the middle of the stage,\u2019 referring to the barracks space used from the 1950s to the 2000s. If you are in any professional rehearsal room in San Diego, you would be hard-pressed to find at least one person there who hasn\u2019t worked on a CPH show.\u201d<\/p>\n
For audiences, especially during this milestone season, the Playhouse aims to leave a lasting impression each night. \u201cCPH\u2019s goal is to bring you a smile, a thought, or a memory when you leave our shows. For decades, we have had the privilege of taking you out of your everyday and transporting you to another time and place with the magic of theatre. CPH is a gathering place for creatives of all kinds to shine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Caro-Willcox\u2019s vision is for the theatre\u2019s traditions to continue far into the future. \u201cMy hope for the Playhouse is that it continues to produce for 80 more years and continues to be beloved by the residents of Coronado and greater San Diego. The Holiday Sing-a-long Cabaret and Free Classics have been traditions for many residents since their inception. I hope that CPH can continue connecting with residents and seeing how we can best entertain you.\u201d<\/p>\n