About Us

Our History:

We are one of the only 100% democratically-led theater companies in Los Angeles, and our members pay no dues to remain a member. We believe theater is a collective art between the artists and the audience, and, as such, we are always seeking ways to reach out and bring theater to underserved populations.

History / Programming:

In the spring of 1997, veteran stage actor John Sylvain and a handful of fellow artists created Sacred Fools Theater Company, a new theater company in which members would support each other's work and foster a safe environment where artists could take risks. Over 90 mainstage productions, earning over 160 nominations and 100 awards, were to come. Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara (2008), the Franklin R. Levy Award recipient for Musical Theatre at the Ovation Awards, was our first production to transfer from our 99-seat space to a larger venue, moving for a long and well-received run at the Geffen Playhouse. Watson: The Last Great Tale of Sherlock Holmes (2010) won 2 L.A. Weekly Awards, Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton (2012) won 5 L.A. Weekly Awards and then transferred for an extended run at the Pasadena Playhouse, and Absolutely Filthy (2013) won 3 L.A. Weekly Awards and then transferred as a guest production at South Coast Rep. In 2015 and 2016, The Behavior of Broadus (a co-production with Center Theater Group) and Astro Boy and the God of Comics both garnered several nominations and wins at the Ovation Awards and the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards.

In addition to its successful mainstage productions, Sacred Fools has also been committed to developing new work and being an active participant in our community through a variety of off-night workshops, productions, and educational opportunities. Perhaps the most successful is Serial Killers, a late-night short-play series, now in its 14th year, from which several mainstage productions have sprung. In 2017, we launched the We the People reading series. This bi-monthly theatre action is a curated staged reading series of new works theatrically exploring, sometimes loudly, sometimes quietly, the social and political concerns facing our country today. Our Summer Theater Camp has completed its 9th year, and we were grateful to be able to provide scholarships for free or reduced cost to half of the participants.

In 2016, Sacred Fools moved to our new theater space on Hollywood's Theatre Row. With help from generous donors and lots and lots of volunteers, we now operate 4 spaces, and not only still produce a full season of our own mainstage productions, but also serve as a popular and necessary rental house for independent productions in Los Angeles. During the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival alone, we hosted over 60 different productions! To find out more about our programming, visit our Shows page, and to find out more about our company and staff, visit our Members & Staff page.