Records of Santa Barbara theater company founded in 1979 when a group of local actors and designers teamed up to present a production of George Bernard Shaw’s classic comedy, Candida, at the assembly hall at Trinity Episcopal Church. The troupe produced two more shows that year, Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound and Shaw’s A Pound On Demand, and thus, the Ensemble Theatre was created.
In 1981 the company moved to its current location at 914 Santa Barbara Street. The site, the Alhecama Theatre, is part of the Presidio State Park, which is run by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. During the 1985-86 season, Robert Grande-Weiss, took over the helm of Artistic Director, and has subsequently led the company to its current success. Mr. Grande-Weiss is responsible for selecting plays and the overall artistic philosophy of the company. Under his leadership, and that of Managing Director, Patricia Baldwin, Ensemble Theatre Company has experienced tremendous growth, and is proving to be an invaluable cultural resource to the community. For a description of the collection, consult the finding guide in the Online Archive of California (OAC). A paper copy of the finding guide is also available in the Special Collections Reading Room.
Visit the Ensemble Theatre Company home page at: http://www.ensembletheatre.com/
