Playhouse Theatre

The Playhouse Theatre, now known as Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse, began as a tile warehouse converted in 1930 by Burton and Florence James for the Seattle Repertory Playhouse. It hosted multi-ethnic performers and audiences and received Federal Theatre Project funding to establish the Negro Repertory Company, one of four FTP units in Seattle. The University of Washington bought the facility in 1950 for its theatre department, converted it from a proscenium to a thrust stage in 1967, and added a story with improvements during reconstruction from 2007 to 2009. Visitors can attend university theatre productions in this historic venue, which retains its legacy as a platform for diverse performance. The building's transformation from a warehouse to a modern thrust stage reflects its enduring role in Seattle's theatrical heritage. It offers a unique glimpse into the city's cultural history, especially its support for integrated arts during the New Deal era.