Berkeley Playhouse

Berkeley, United States

4.5

Closed now

20 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 510-845-8542
Website:
www.berkeleyplayhouse.org
Address:
2640 College Ave, Berkeley, CA, 94704
b/t Derby St & Parker St
Elmwood
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
70 ftCollege Av & Derby St
760 ftCollege Av & Parker St
0.2 miCollege Av & Russell St
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Bussiness info

Good for Kids
Yes

Today

Today 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Berkeley) 5:00 PM Friday, May 23, 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Friday 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 7:30 pm

Description

Specialties

Our 15⁄16 Season Kicks off with Avenue Q, followed by Peter Pan, Bridges (an original commissioned piece), The Addams Family, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

Join us this fall for classes based on Peter Pan and Narnia www​.berke​ley​play​house​.org

Berkeley Playhouse is a professional music theatre for all ages seeking to transform the lives of families through the magic of live performance, excellent music education programs, and school outreach.

Berkeley Playhouse produces a season of professional musicals and 6 Youth Company performances a year. Audition Dates can be found on the website where season passes for the season are also available.

The Music Theatre Conservatory offers many different classes and camps throughout the year.

History

Established in 2007.

Berkeley Playhouse was founded in 2007 by Artistic Director, Elizabeth McKoy, a professional theatre actor, director, and teacher for over 20 years.

Meet the Business Owner

Elizabeth M.

Business Owner

Elizabeth McKoy is the Artistic Director & Founder of Berkeley Playhouse, where she most recently directed The Sound of Music for the 2012⁄13 professional season. The show set attendance and box office records. Elizabeth has directed many shows for Berkeley Playhouse’s acclaimed Youth Company including: Alice in Wonderland, Bravado, Once on This Island, The Music Man, Into The Woods, Quonk, and many others. In addition to performing professionally as an actress, Elizabeth has always felt inspired and passionate about teaching all ages about the joy and power of live theatre. Before coming to Berkeley, she taught theatre for many years in New York and Seattle, including over five years for the renowned Seattle Children’s Theatre. After performing and teaching in Seattle she moved to Berkeley and became the Education Director for an affiliate of New York’s Lincoln Center Institute which brought arts education to thousands of school children and teachers in the Bay Area.

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20 reviews of Berkeley Playhouse

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Union City, CA
My girlfriend and I had a wonderful time last night at the Berkeley Playhouse watching «Peter Pan». This most definitely secured our date night.
This was a first time experience for us both and was quite pleased. The venue is situated in the residential area of Berkeley, close to many coffee shops, small mom and pop shops, and the occasional restaurants. I rarely go to this area but am quite amazed at what this city has to offer; which the Playhouse is one must see venue in this gorgeous city!
The venue was spacious. Food and drinks were also served for a reasonable price. Okay, let’s get to the good part of this review: the actual play. The cast killed it! I was engaged throughout the whole act and it felt so real, like I was one of the lost boys in Peter Pan. Also, I like the fact that it was also a musical. It gave the crowd this enchanted feeling of awesomeness.
We will most definitely be back to check out other plays in the near future.
Place rating: 5
San Leandro, CA
5 «BIG» STARS***** for the opening night of Peter Pan! What an awesome show with a cast that was second to none! My 102 year old Grandmother even gave it two thumbs up! From Peter Pan to Captain Hook to the Lost Boys and even the Crocodile the cast was spot on! Just totally an amazing production! If 10 Stars were possible we’d score it! Before the season is over I will make it back for another show as it was that good!
Thank You for a Great Evening!
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Charming local theater in Berkeley! Highly recommend going to see a play at the Julia Morgan Theater. The venue is small and intimate. Any seat in the house seems relatively close to the stage. You really get the neighborhood feel and sense of the community there. Friend and I went to see Avenue Q a few weeks ago. Cast was very talented as was the orchestra. Ticket prices are about $ 40 and they play Broadway hits/​classics. Support local theater! Wonderful establishment for the performing arts! Go with friends, family or date! Free street parking in surrounding residential area. Location is a few blocks down from restaurants on College Ave. Will be back this season to see To Kill A Mockingbird and The Little Mermaid!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Such a beautiful theatre. Not a bad seat in the house except maybe one. Truly a great experience with kind and caring staff and organization that makes the place runs smoothly.
I saw part of the professional season, Avenue Q, and the cast was phenomenal. So talented and versatile, playing to different parts at once, not to mention changing those voice, but also learning how to perfect the art of puppetry! WELL DONE!
Place rating: 5
Burlingame, CA
Got tickets from good star for this show and come to find out they were REALLY good seats! Row «C» but there was only one row in front of us, so not sure where A was unless it’s A then C… the show was really good, avenue Q, and was a nice intimate setting. Got free snack bar tix with each ticket for anything u want for free! AND I checked in on here and got my free soda! AWESOME! Who hates free!!! They have some huge black and white cookies, well not huge but definitely a good size! I wanted to eat one of everything there! Looked so yummy!!! Wouldn’t mind going back for another show. I don’t mind driving or BARTing all the way out there because my fav pizza place, artichoke Bastille, is out there as well as my fav BBQ place, Everett & Jones. Hopefully get to go back soon for a different performance! SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY!
Place rating: 2
Oakland, CA
In terms of Berkeley Playhouse’s professional performances, they get a 5+ star rating.
We were so impressed by the theater’s performances, that we signed our 5 year old daughter up for a week at their theater camp. Boy, this was a night and day experience. The camp itself is quite expensive, but I thought it would be worth it because we love this theater so much.
To start, our daughter’s camp teacher was impersonal, cold, and appeared to care less about the kids. I was so put off at pick up and drop off: no updates on the day, no care to greet us, and it just seemed generally uninterested in small children. I really wished I could get at least a few words on the day.
The real kicker was that at the end of the week, they put on an adorable performance and my daughter did such a wonderful job, but then at the end of the performance, the kids were ordered to bring back their costumes and grab a prize from the prize box. My daughter walked away from the prize box with tears in her eyes. I asked her what happened and she stated that the kids all got points throughout the week based on their behavior and she only received 7 out of 20 points. I was totally taken aback by this: she’s always been very calm, relaxed, and sweet. Here we just had a high from a cute performance and now she was in tears because she interpreted this to mean that she had been «bad» all week.
We went back to the teacher and inquired about the low score. My daughter very sweetly asked, «what could I do to improve in the future?» and the teacher replied, «nothing, you did fine.» So why the low score? And why did I pay $ 350 for the week only to have my daughter essentially graded for prizes? I thought this was about performing and doing it well and having fun.
What started as a sweet day of performing ended very sourly. What a disappointment.
Place rating: 5
Walnut Creek, CA
What a fabulous theater. Saw Fiddler on the Roof over the weekend. This is our second show here — Hairspray being the first. I continue to be blown away by the quality of their productions. Wish I had know about them earlier — could have exposed my kids to so many more musicals. Oh well. Rather inexpensive too compared to catching a show in SF or Broadway. We went with our parents and our children in tow and everyone enjoyed it equally. Such a welcoming place for the family. An East Bay gem!
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
From the time I was a little girl I have loved the movie & soundtrack to Fiddler on the Roof. My first introduction to the character Tevye was Zero Mostel, as an adult I saw the play in San Francisco with Topol. Both are top notch actors. Nothing could have prepared me for the Berkeley Playhouse performance of Fiddler on the Roof. Michael RJ Campbell as Tevye was a performance you would expect to see on Broadway or any world famous theatre. Every single actor carried their role in the highest of regard and gave their all to their character. Our friend Jennie played Yente and blew me away with her voice inflection of a perfect Yente! I was so proud of her!!! The orchestra was fantastic, and the dance performances were so creative. The dream scene left everyone with their mouths open in surprise. I actually don’t think once is enough for me on this performance… I’m going for round 2!
Place rating: 5
Union City, CA
I usually never rate on Unilocal but have always viewed other ratings, but I just had to after watching Hairspray. Loved every minute of it! Was pleasantly surprised at how well the production was put together. The actors, singing, and just overall performance was very entertaining. This was my first time at the theater and I didn’t know how small it is and how close the first row is to the stage which is where we sat. Next time I’ll get a seat a few rows back. Because of this performance I plan on watching other shows there.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I saw the show on opening night. I was cautious regarding adults doing Charlie Brown. Yet, it was an amazing show. The director «got» everyone, creating the dysfunctional but awesome family Schultz created over 50 years ago. Snoopy, played by Alex Rodriguez seemed to fly through the air as the Red Baron. He captured Snoopys on and off switch perfectly. It was fun to see with a 10 year old tween. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Had a wonderful time at the Mary Poppins production this weekend. The music, dancing, and acting were simply fantastic. It’s great to have such quality theater that you can bring the whole family to enjoy.
Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
CA, CA
UPDATE: Berkeley Playhouse has been a gift in our lives-​specifically for my son who has grown up in their classes and now is performing in the youth ensemble in their current mainstage show. He started with a one week camp in Kindergarten and over the years went on to take 2 week, 3 week, and 5 week performance camps. He has taken classes during the school year and performed in numerous shows as ensemble and leading roles (Kidstage).
What makes this theater program different and superior to other theater/​drama programs is their understanding of children and teaching, and their ability to tap into the wonder and fun of each child. My son is on the shyer, quieter side but the instructors have brought out the best in him, he feels most confident and known when he’s there.
As a relatively new and growing organization, they have gone through growing pains, and turn over. This can be frustrating. But as someone who needs to know information in advance (like me, as a working parent, juggling schedules), I reach out and ask when something isn’t clear. And if I don’t get a ready response, I ask again. And this has worked relatively well. And recently, they hired a new education manager who is REALLY organized and responsive. Rik is a lovely guy who is GREAT with both the kids and parents (not always so easy). I already see a few of the positive changes in how information is being shared.
So if you are expecting perfection, you may not find it, but if you are looking for a loving, professional, kid – focused theater program for your child, this is the place.
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
I’m writing this as a patron who attends multiple performances throughout the year. Berkeley Playhouse is a pretty solid community theater that often outperforms expectations. Sound of Music was one of the best performances and I really enjoyed the Wiz.
Some of the points by other reviewers are likely valid. For example, I won an auction item from them but it took my several attempts to claim it. However, the performances are often pretty solid and the theater itself offers a pleasant environment. I do wish they would consider the shows to gain the broadest appeal — I’ve had both season tix and have bought them ad hoc — as there is usually a show or two that I have limited desire to see… despite my willingness to support the theater itself.
If there is a show that looks appealing — there is no reason not to visit the Julia Morgan Theater — you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised!
Place rating: 1
Piedmont, CA
Overall unorganized and poorly run. We are taking acting classes there now, and half way through the semester we are on our third teacher. The first class was spent just getting organized. The second class was getting organized at a new location. The third class was coloring. The fourth class was moving again to another location. It is an expensive class to be this unorganized and unprofessional. A couple of the staff members are very nice and try to be on top of it, but something is clearly wrong with the background management. The classes are expensive for this level of output.
Conversely, we also took classes with BACT and found those to be very well run, engaging and maximized the children’s engagement, stage time, and had a theme throughout.
Place rating: 4
Oakland, CA
I love Berkeley Playhouse! As a patron, I can say I thoroughly enjoy supporting community theaters with such a great breadth of community outreach. They have a fantastic educational enrichment programs, and a lot my friends are teaching artists here.
Needless to say, a lot of my friends also perform here, and I enjoy the shows that are put on in such a diverse fashion with a different flair of directorial personality.
This place is a wonderful family-​oriented venue, and it would please parents and children alike to become involved with this theatre on any level.
If you go to the show: buy your tix in advance. It’s just easier than waiting in line.
Go to the concessions! They have amazing baked goods from local bakeries (Grand Ave Bakery, Sweet Adeline’s).
The Julia Morgan Theater is beautiful, but don’t sit too close. Center is best a few rows back.
Place rating: 5
Concord, CA
(In Terminator Voice): I’LL BE BACK!
Date night! Yeah, after a 16 months of have a long distance relationship with my husband he has lots of date night catching up to do! Lucky for both of us, we enjoy going new places. So when my boss mentioned this playhouse in Berkeley and a wonderful showing of «Guys and Dolls» he saw there, I looked in to it.
had $ 5 tickets for the musical at the beginning of the month but our $ 35 tickets weren’t unreasonable. Neither of us had ever seen the production before. We left there very happy. We both agreed that we enjoy plays more than musicals, but all of the performers did an amazing job.
Parking was kind of a hassle. We asked about garages but were told street parking is easy during the week. We didn’t find it all that easy but ended up getting a spot relatively close — it just took a while.
The playhouse itself is really nice. it’s much bigger than the one in Point Richmond (I was expecting something similar, but should have gone in with no expectations). This one is very nice. They allow food inside the actual playroom itself. Concessions are sold just outside of here. Good thing too because we needed a slice of the pizza they had at the Intermission. The prices were fair on all the goodies. Husband ate most of the pizza (the slice was pretty small $ 4) and I had a Cutie for $ 0.50. Water was free in the corner and they ask that you don’t bring your own water bottle (not sure why).
Bins are set up for compost, recycling, and trash. And also one bin for donations (food) so read the signs and don’t just start throwing your pizza plate wherever you want. Like my husband :)
We’ll definitely be back to see another show here. Not a bad seat in the house!
Place rating: 4
San Mateo, CA
It’s pretty easy to get here and there seems to be plenty of parking in the area, seems to be in a very residential area (hard to tell as it was dark and raining) which gives it a more homely feeling.
When you get there, it’s a cute little theater. There aren’t any bad seats here as far as I can tell. It’s not quite stadium style seating so if you have a really tall person in front of you and you aren’t the biggest it may be an issue.
Also some if someone spills something, it rolls all the way down from the back!
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
My son and his cousin are now enjoying their third year as season ticket holders at Berkeley Playhouse. Together we’ve seen Oliver, Annie, Suessical the Musical, Cinderella and a whole host of other performances. This weekend we saw Sound of Music and it was outstanding.
You have to love a place that encourages kids and families and provides theater appropriate for kids of all ages. But Berkeley Playhouse executes extremely well. They have stunning performances, reasonably priced, while creating a community of children-​inclusive theater. They have their «professional» theater with adult stars and then they also have theater for the youth rising stars. We saw a wonderful production of Geppetto’s Pinocchio with an all youth cast who did an outstanding job. Berkeley Playhouse has theater classes as well.
Now as to The Sound of Music. I have to reveal that I fell in love with Julie Andrews when I was 6 and saw the movie in the theater. Then I saw the movie almost every year growing up. And I had memorized every song on the album. So how could the theater version possibly compete? Well, I was amazed at how much more personal the story was, with staging happening all around the theater. I still loved the songs every bit as much, loved Maria, knew why she fell in love with the children. I was enchanted as the story unfolded, even though I knew the ending. When the production was over, I couldn’t help but leap to my feet and applaud.
This is why we are season ticket holders.
Berkeley Playhouse is MAGICAL. Sound of Music is wonderful. Go see for yourself. Go fall in love.
Place rating: 4
Alameda, CA
The professionalism of a major theater with the charm of a tiny playhouse — I love it.
I took my girlfriend here to see Singing in the Rain way back when on one of our first dates, and we both enjoyed ourselves. Not only did the cast do an amazing job (those flips!), the staff was very attentive as well.
We’re both looking forward to coming back for their version of Willie Wonka next week. Here’s to another memorable performance!
Place rating: 5
El Cerrito, CA
Are you ready to have your mind blown?
Read this: PAY WHAT YOU CAN THURSDAYS.
We took our 6-​year-​old to see a wacky musical called Lucky Duck and got an incredibly cheap price for tickets. Fantastic. Get onto their Facebook page for updates.
YAY.