The original design by the critically important architectural firm of Kiehnel and Elliott, was a fanciful Spanish Rococo movie palace. Erected 2015 by Coconut Grove Civic Club and the Florida Department of State. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is a noteworthy expression of the Florida Land Boom that has survived to the present day. Join our advocacy campaign by following us on Facebook. Rechristened the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the facility reopened as a live theater in 1956. Add to clipboard. In 2004, the state transferred the title over to Coconut Grove Playhouse Inc. with the requirement that it be operated as a theater. Archives and History of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. In the six years since the Coconut Grove Playhouse shuttered, irreplaceable theatrical history has festered in a fetid, crumbling structure, endangered by everything from larcenous-minded vagrants to Florida's infamous mold-rich climate. Operating as a non-profit organization, it is now a nationally recognized regional theater. After its conversion to a live stage venue in 1956, the new playhouse opened with a presentation of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot.” The State of Florida acquired the playhouse in 1980 by purchasing it’s $1.5 million mortgage and contracted Coconut Grove Playhouse Inc. to operate it. Another prominent entertainment venue was the Coconut Grove Playhouse, a converted movie theater, known initially as the Coconut Grove Cinema, which opened in 1927. It’s time to make a revived Coconut Grove Playhouse one of our assets. ASM0453; Collection; 1963-2012; In October, 1963, Charles Cinnamon, public relations director of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, organized a “Left Bank” art show to publicize the opening of Irma La Douce at the Playhouse. During a history walk of Coconut Grove, Dr. Paul George describes the history of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Coconut Grove Playhouse Special Meeting this Wednesday, May 8th at 9 AM; April 26, 2019 - Coconut Grove Playhouse Special Meeting to be Held on May 8th at 9 AM; April 24, 2019 - The Latest on the Coconut Grove Playhouse Project; April 19, 2019 - We Need Your Help: The Deciding Moment for the Coconut Grove Playhouse Project Suffering financially, the Playhouse would close once again in 1960, before being purchased by producer Zev Buffman in 1966 for $1 million, after leasing it for several years. The playhouse opened in 1927 as a movie theater for Paramount Pictures. The Coconut Grove Playhouse Foundation was formed to advocate for the expeditious restoration and reopening of the historic façade and main stage theater, as well as the construction of supporting facilities. Coconut Grove Playhouse. 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