Coastal Repertory Theatre

First off, I’m not a theatre geek like some of my friends (several of whom were in attendance when we saw «Company.) I enjoy going to see friends who perform and to get a little culture.
The space was nice: small, but comfortable. Maybe the word «intimate» would work here.
New seating.
Fun lobby/​lounge for pre-​show and entr’acte cocktails… yes, cocktails. Special that day was a Manhattan. Buy a special sippy cup, or return with your own, and enjoy your beverage in the theatre.
Everyone we met there seemed to be having a great time, and the staff were all smiling and friendly.
Looking forward to another show soon!

Beyond My Expectations. Not sure how such great, well produced, consistent quality work is produced in this small town. Bravo to all involved. Looking forward to the next production

We love the Coastal Rep. productions. The actors put their hearts and soul into their roles and rarely disappoint. We saw «August Osage County» yesterday and it was EXCELLENT! We highly recommend going to see this play that is at the Coastal rep for another 3 weeks Fri. and Sat. evenings or Sunday afternoon matinée. The cost is relatively inexpensive and the quality of the performances is excellent especially with the current play. Many of their productions are rated «G» but this is an Adult presentation. Go and see August Osage County, you won’t be disappointed! And while you are at it, join the Coastal Rep. it’s a fun way to spend an evening or a Sunday afternoon on the Coast.

The Point: Great quality productions worth going to. Acting is reliably excellent :) .
Tips: I recommend (1) going to the evening shows, since the the theater can get uncomfortably warm on the Sunday afternoon shows, and (2) bringing cash for inexpensive concessions (volunteer-​made cookies, etc).

Was our first time at this theater and came since they had a holiday themed musical for the girl who loves those Christmas jingles.
Pros: The stage was beautiful with all the holiday lights and decorations and the theater itself like most community theaters is small enough that you can enjoy the performance wherever you sit. The refreshments are inexpensive (e.g. $ 1 for coffee, water, teas, etc.) and they have tableclothed tables and seating for you to enjoy (not sure if it’s a holiday only thing or year round). The bathrooms had seasonal appropriate liquid soaps and lotions from Bath and Body Works (e.g. balsam fir, candied apple, etc.) which is a nice touch.
Cons: It is a bit confusing if this is your first time to the theater as there aren’t any signs for you to know what is going on at some of the tables. They had a fundraiser where you can buy a flashing ornament and write a message on the paper ornament to hang on the tree. Great idea but with no direction on the tables, people especially kids may assume that anyone can write a message to hang on the tree for decoration so handing out the paper ornaments upon purchase might be a better idea. During intermission they have cookies for donors/​members which is a nice but they should make an announcement before intermission so everyone knows or have a sign above the table saying complimentary for members/​donors only.

I was in attendance for a SOLD OUT performance of Hair this week, and it was a beautiful show. The house staff was very helpful and friendly. The lobby is so open and nice, with plenty of seating. This is probably a good thing because it was damp and chilly outside the theater after sundown.
I think the company does a great job with their intimate facility. The band playing for «Hair» was off to stage Left, so I felt that it was hard for the sound designer to adequately control the levels that reached us seated in the audience. Wireless microphones on the actors worked well, and so I was able to understand almost every word in a show that I had never seen before.
Great work, all!

Came here to watch Rent but this review is for the theater.
Small theater, seats about 150. Seats were old and uncomfortable. Sound system was a bit off. Parking is free but the parking lot is small and really dark (no lights at all).
I never had been able to score front row seats but was able to here. I guess that is one good thing about a small theater situated in a less populated city. At first I was worried that the stage will be high and sitting in the front row would mean that I have to look up the whole time and end up with a sore neck but that wasn’t the case. The stage is only elevated a few inches from the ground. It was great.
I also like the fact that they don’t gouge you on concessions. A school girl was selling soda ($ 1) and cookies ($ 1) to fund raise for her school. I liked that idea a lot.
All in all, we had a good time. I would come back for another show.

We saw a production of ‘Rent’ here the other night and I have to say that it wasn’t bad. I read the other reviews here and thought I’d throw in some input:
— The actors were good and even very good in some roles
— The singing was great and outstanding in some instances (Roger was nicely done)
— The theatre did not seem overly warm and I’m a fatty who is sensitive to heat
— The seats were awfully uncomfortable. Quite scratchy.
— The place smells old
Also, I don’t worship ‘Rent’ like many do (it’s ok…), so you can somewhat rest assured that the positive review isn’t slanted in that manner.

Just saw my third play here last night April 2 2011: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It was really good, excellent acting from all four characters.
My emotions were stirred which, for me, is always a reliable indicator of acting quality and script power.
The staff is warm and welcoming, intermission refreshments are inexpensive, the sets are well designed. They even worked a jazz string bass player (who was lit very artistically, kudos to the stage lighting crew) into the fade to intermission. He laid down some moody haunting lines that seemed especially appropriate for the emotional tenor of the stage production.
I’ve yet to see a dud play here, all three plays were very good. I’ve seen some really bad community theater, dropped lines, flat delivery, etc but this is miles above that stuff. The actors are pros and do not disappoint. Give it a try. Dress warm if its cold outside as the inside temps can get a bit chilly. This theater company is really a gem and they deserve your support. I don’t begrudge the ticket prices one bit. I doubt if they do any better than break even given their small size and the expenses of maintaining a building and putting on a play.

This theatre is amazing! The atmosphere is wonderful, the actors are great, and the sets are some of the best I’ve seen. It’s a small community theater with about 160 seats. The first play I went to here (True West) was fantastic. Since then, I’ve come back for every show, and never been disappointed. This theater is truly a gem.

Costal rep is not your typical community theatre. It a home. It is full of passion and love. The actors, staff and volunteers make everyone feel welcome.
The seats are currently being fixed.
The sets are amazing along with the acting. Costal rep is a wonderful place to enjoy a show.
If you are looking for a wonderful night of entertainment, awesome acting and a wonderful atsomopher, costal rep is a sure hit!

Outrageous ticket prices. $ 25 it cost me to go see a co-​worker in a play with a bunch of inexperienced ‘actors’ marching dully back and forth across the stage, people were forgetting lines. Painful. Especially considering it costs less for balcony seats to a REAL play in San Francisco. But the biggest reason for the single star? Some idiots were having a shouting match somewhere in the back stage area before the show, a guy comes stomping out, cussing, and according to my co-​worker the guy was the ‘artistic director’ of this place and he does this all the time. Kind of funny, but pretty much ‘Waiting For Guffman’ in real life, NOT worth the price of the ticket. Or the drive.

I have attended several productions at the Coastal Rep in Half Moon Bay (prior to their renovations/​improvements and afterwards). For some reason they decided to paint the building black, which considering there is no air conditioning and a lack of proper ventilation, is a strange decision. The theater becomes so unbearably hot that I usually find myself running outside during intermission gasping for air.
The acting has always been at the community theater level and the pricing reflects that. The plays are enjoyable and entertaining. The actors make mistakes, the props on the stage fall over… this is all part of the community theater experience. I happen to enjoy smaller theaters. If you want a Broadway show then expect to go elsewhere and pay Broadway prices.
My biggest problem, which was illuded to before, is the comfort of the theater itself. Yes, the seats are old and I can deal with that. The temperature of the theater is exceptionally hot to say the least. On the side of the theater the patrons enter and exit, I could hear a banging sound coming from the ceiling area throughout an entire play. I saw other patrons, just as distracted as I was, looking around during the play to try and figure out what the sound was. It was so annoying and distracting and it was so hot in the theater that I left in the middle of the play. Had it not been so uncomfortable, I would have stayed.
I am sad to say that I will probably not return to the Coastal Rep, only because of how uncomfortable the theater is with it’s rattling and banging noises and the too hot temperature.

This is your typical community theatre, with one minor twist (more on that later).
Michael Lederman has been the artistic director there for, like, ever. He likes to bring a fresh twist to old stories, updating them to reflect the change in times (a good example is Tommy — updated from WWII to Vietnam… Waiting for Godot also went through a massive refresh). I like the way he brings said fresh slant to timeless classics — kudos to him!
Being a community theatre, there WILL be a shortage of primetime players. That said, there’s always a standout in every play/​musical we’ve seen (another one where Tommy is a great example — lackluster performances by most, but the kid who plays the title character is AWESOME. The lead in Rocky Horror (Mr. Frank-​n-​Furter himself) set a new bar across the nation for same).
The only drawback that has been consistent is whoever runs the mixer tends to let the music drown out the voices. Granted, at times, this is a good thing.
:-)
But usually, it’s just annoying.
Now…that twist I was talking about? Mr. Lederman has a slightly twisted bent — I like that. His late summer musicals are ALWAYS campy. Or wierd. Or just downright wrong. THAT is great! Rocky Horror (and NOT the PG version!). Full Monty. Tommy (sex drugs and rock and roll. Ya just can’t go wrong). In 2010, Urinetown. And strangely enough, the quiet conservative town of HMB eats it up! Absolutely sells out every performance during that part of the season.
Good place. We like it.

I happened to be in Half Moon Bay on the Weekend of the Annual Talent Show. It was held at the Coastal Rep and many of the performers had been in several past performances at the theater. The show was very professional, entertaining and showed the wide variety of talents of the community.

Parking: in an unlit, uneven field
Acting: amateur, to say the least
Seating: ancient and noisy
Auditorium: extremely odoriferous
Pricing: outrageous
Lounge: decorated prettily, drinks available
My recent experience was horrifying. I had to leave at intermission – something I have never done before. The terrible smell in the auditorium was enough to make me wish I was a jew in a Hitler shower. The acting made me cringe. Until this theater and its actors get a makeover, please don’t subject yourself to this atrocity.

A total gem! This place shows of some extremely awesome local as well as greater bay area talent. Im not writing this review just because ive been in a play at the Coastal Rep, but from a viewers/​audiences perspective I could see this theatre is a wonderful community based home for budding as well as experienced actors. I love this place for its ability to bring the community and families together with its thought provoking, heart strumming, and professional performances. This theatre is a great place to see what great community theatre is about. Come check it out. They have casting going on year long and offer classes for little tykes to high school aged students.