John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, Open-air theatre in Hollywood, United States.
The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre is a 1,200-seat open-air venue in the Cahuenga Pass of the Hollywood Hills. Its poured-concrete structure, opened in 1931, was designed in the style of ancient Judaic architecture to resemble the gates of Jerusalem, with a tall central arch-shaped section above the stage and seating on the hillside. An 87-seat indoor black box theatre sits underneath.
An amphitheatre was built on this site in 1920 for Christine Wetherill Stevenson's Pilgrimage Play; the wooden structure burned in October 1929. A poured-concrete theatre resembling the gates of Jerusalem opened in 1931, and the land was deeded to Los Angeles County in 1941. The Pilgrimage Play ran until a 1964 lawsuit closed it; in 1976 the venue was renamed for County Supervisor John Anson Ford (1883–1983).
The summer season, revived in 1993 as "Summer Nights at the Ford", selects local music, dance and theatre groups through a competitive application process; chosen producers keep most of the box office proceeds while the venue supplies front-of-house, production and marketing support. The programme has backed hundreds of county arts organisations.
The venue offers ample parking on-site and food options available during performances. Plan to arrive early to secure a good seat and take in the natural surroundings before darkness falls.
The concrete shell built in 1931 was modelled on the gates of Jerusalem, a reference to The Pilgrimage Play performed there. A bridge over U.S. 101 linking the site to Cahuenga Boulevard is still called Pilgrimage Bridge after that play. An 87-seat indoor black box theatre was built beneath the amphitheatre in 1971.
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