Playhouse Theatre (Seattle)

This article is about the theater in Seattle's University District. For the theater building at Seattle Center once known as the Playhouse, see Intiman Theatre.

47°39′23.83″N 122°18′48.93″W / 47.6566194°N 122.3135917°W / 47.6566194; -122.3135917

University of Washington Playhouse Theatre in 2009, following reconstruction
University of Washington Playhouse Theatre undergoing reconstruction in late 2007

The Playhouse Theatre (later University of Washington Playhouse Theatre, now officially Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse) is a theater located at 4045 University Way NE (41st St) on The Ave in the University District, Seattle, Washington. It was converted from a tile warehouse in 1930 by Burton and Florence James, who set up the Seattle Repertory Playhouse with multi-ethnic performers and audiences.

They received funding during the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) of the New Deal to set up the Negro Repertory Company, one of four FTP units in Seattle, which was based at their theatre. The facility was sold to the University of Washington in 1950, which used it for its theatre department. In 1967 it was converted from a proscenium to a thrust stage. From 2007 to 2009, the building was reconstructed to add a story and make numerous improvements.[1]

  1. ^ Mark Waldstein, "Evolution of Revolution", City Arts Seattle, November 2009, p. 48–51.