La Jolla Playhouse

What it reported doing in 2024

The Theater and Arts Foundation of San Diego County dba La Jolla Playhouse (the Playhouse) is a place where artists and audiences come together to create whats new and next in American Theatre. From Tony Award- winning plays and musicals to imaginative programs for young audiences, to interactive experiences outside our theatre walls, the Playhouse brings people together to inspire discussion and open pathways to new ways of thinking. A visit to the Playhouse is an invitation to harness the transformative power of theatre to explore the here and nowand together, expand our worlds compassion, understanding, and hope.Founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer, the Playhouse was revived in 1983, and is currently led by 2017 Tony Award-winning Artistic Director Christopher Ashley and Managing Director Debby Buchholz. Playhouse artists and audiences have taken part in the development of new plays and musicals, including mounting 120 world premieres, commissioning 70 new works, and sending 37 productions to Broadway, garnering a total of 42 Tony Awards including the 1993 Tony Award forOutstanding Regional Theatre.La Jolla Playhouses mission is to advance theatre as an art form, telling stories that inspire empathy and create a dialogue toward a more just future. With our intrepid spirit and eclectic, artist-driven approach we will continue to cultivate a local, national and global following with an insatiable appetite for audacious work.We provide unfettered creative opportunities for a community of artists of all backgrounds and abilities. We are committed to being a permanent safe harbor for unsafe and surprising work, offering a glimpse of the new and the next in American theatre.Our mission and goals are realized through:- Reaching 100,000+ patrons annually, the Playhouses subscription season is comprised of six productions each year, including world premieres and new works, as well as reimagined classics. Our plays reflect a diverse range of voices, theatrical styles, and subject matter, and involve artists and production staff reflective of San Diegos multicultural communities.- Without Walls (WOW) is the Playhouses acclaimed immersive and site-inspired theatre program designed to break barriers by moving beyond the boundaries of a traditional four-walled theatre space. The Playhouse regularly commissions and presents site-specific works, as well as its popular WOW Festival.- New Play Development is fulfilled by supporting the creation of new work and developing artists and companies through such programs as Page To Stage (a full production that allows input from the audience throughout the run during nightly talkbacks); DNA New Work Series (providing artists with rehearsal time, space, and resources, and holding readings and workshops open to the public); a robust commissioning program, the Artist-in-Residence Program (a multi-month residency where artists can develop new projects); and the Theatre-in-Residence Program (a multi-year residency for San Diego-area companies without a permanent home).- The Playhouse is dedicated to educational enrichment through the arts, reaching 35,000 people annually through Learning & Engagement programs and partnering with San Diego schools/cultural organizations. The Playhouse commissions a new play for students each year and tours it to local schools; places theatre artists into schools for in-school residencies and afterschool programs; invites students to engage in on-site professional theatre experiences; provides training and other educational resources for teachers adhering to standards-based curricula; and provides access opportunities for patrons of all ages. We offer engaging and rigorous summer programming for students in 3rd-12th grade, including technical theatre training and a Conservatory for High School Students. Additionally, the Playhouse invites adult lifelong learners through our Spotlight On program to collaborate in classes in acting, improvisation

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 69.9%; rating input score 70
• Program expense ratio: 75.2%; rating input score 75
• Fundraising efficiency: $7.58 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 62nd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 5 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 83
  • Compensation committee: Pass
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Pass
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 10.6%; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 4.38; rating input score 83; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.06; rating input score 80; 80th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 8.5%; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 2.4% per year; rating input score 100; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 4.6% per year; rating input score 100; 40th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 10.6% per year; rating input score 100; 67th percentile among comparable filings