Theatre Palisades Burns Down in California Wildfire

The Pierson Playhouse, home of Theatre Palisades, has been destroyed in the devastating wildfire that has swept through parts of Los Angeles County this week. Darsha Philips of NBCLA broke the story, reporting live outside the burning theater on Temescal Canyon Road just off Sunset Boulevard. The fire also spread to Palisades Charter High School across the street.

The fire was first reported on January 7 in the mountains above the Pacific Palisades neighborhood and quickly spread on the Santa Ana winds, which are expected to pick up as the week progresses. According to the Associated Press, the ongoing blaze has burned 4.5 square miles and left 30,000 resident under evacuation orders. The initial cause of the fire is under investigation.

Television writers Ken Rosen, Sheldon Stark, and Jacquie Chester founded Theatre Palisades in 1963. It has occupied its current location since 1988. The last production in the venue, Steven Dietz’s Private Eyes, closed on December 15. A notice on the theater’s website states that operations are suspended until further notice, with a link to donate.