Theatre Out

I’ve only seen two shows at Theatre Out. The first was years ago when they operated out of The Maverick. I recently saw «The Glass Menagerie» at their newest location in Santa Ana. I’m not going to review the production but rather talk about the operations of the theater.
Everything about my experience was top notch. There is an easy to navigate website that allows you to select your seats and pay via their third-​party vendor. Easy-​peasy. You get a nice confirmation AND an email reminder about the play. How often does that happen?!
There’s a very convenient parking structure one short block walk behind the theater. On a Friday night about 15 minutes before 8 it cost $ 4; I think that’s very reasonable considering parking usually costs far more elsewhere.
The theater itself is small and intimate. But there’s something to be said for intimate theater; it brings an honesty and an involvement that larger venues don’t. One almost feels voyeuristic, as if one is peeking through the window at the action. I can think of a few plays where this might work very well.
Everyone that I encountered was friendly. I felt bad that there were only 5 of us in the audience that night. It was a terrific production, as usually is the case with smaller theaters. Their next season looks terrific. My friend and I identified quite a few shows we would like to see. I’m considering signing up for their Pink Pass, which gives you 6 «flex» tickets. You choose the dates for each show or you can skip a show and see another one twice. You can also use your flex tickets to bring a friend.
I hope to support this theater more in the future.

Theatre Out is touted as «Orange County’s Gay and Lesbian Theatre Company» and regularly produces a fun variety of live theatre productions in the Santa Ana downtown area near the historic plaza which has been undergoing a resurgence in recent years.
I have seen quite a range of productions here from light hearted fun «The Drowsy Chaperone» a parody of Jazz era story lines and most recently Alchemy Theater’s (
) Gertrude Stein production.
The theater is quite small and the seating is not highly raked. It almost has a caberet, connect with your fellow audience members, feel to it.
Wonderful addition to Orange County’s vibrant Live Theater scene.
We saw a Sunday afternoon production of the Gertrude Stein work, leaving at about 4PM. Almost all the places to eat were closed or only serving drinks and macaroni and cheese for the next hour. Not the theater’s fault, by all means. Just, t’would be nice if the restaurants were aware of the gem next door and feeding the theater patrons. *Wistful sigh* A Unilocaler can dream, can’t she?

The best place in Santa Ana for great theatre and music! Now even better in their new location next to Bistro.
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