The best outdoor theater in Los Angeles

For more than forty years, Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum has been drawing theatre aficionados to its storied, open-air stage for engaging plays in a magical setting. The 299-seat amphitheater in Topanga Canyon hosts audiences of all ages for everything from Shakespearean classics to folk plays and more. This season, catch highlights such as William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and the stage adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

This seasonal theater company produces ten weeks of admission-free performances at more than 20 ocean-adjacent venues across Los Angeles and Orange County. Last year alone, the company drew over 20,000 people to its open-air settings. This summer’s top production is a performance on Macbeth at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes—arguably one of Shakespeare by the Sea’s most breathtaking locations. There’s no better backdrop than the Pacific Ocean.

While most well-known for its breathtaking gardens and exhibitions, the Getty Villa is also home to several open-air productions which take place at the property’s grand Barbara and Lawrence FleishmanTheater. In keeping with the museum’s first-century Roman-style architecture, the 500-seat classical theater is modeled after venues of ancient Greece and Rome. Each September, the theatre welcomes a series of productions, which in the past have included Euripides’ Hippolytus and Plautus’s Tug of War. Visit the Getty Villa’s online calendar for the full production schedule this season.

Each summer, Shakespeare fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. puts on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliners: “Measure For Measure” and “The Two Gentlemen Of Verona.” Insider tip: Before the show starts, grab a bite from the concessions tent, which features sweet treats from The Village Bakery & Café, homemade kettle corn and more.