PCPA - Pacific Conservatory Theatre

Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), founded in 1964 by Donovan Marley, is a professional conservatory theatre based at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. Initially known as the Platform Players, the company began with twenty-one actors and performed its first production, "A Man for All Seasons," in a converted barracks. By 1968, PCPA had established the Marian Theatre, a 448-seat venue, and expanded its reach to the Solvang Festival Theatre in 1974. PCPA offers accredited career and technical education programs in acting and technical theatre, training over 100 students each semester. The theatre has a rich history of producing high-quality performances and has been instrumental in the careers of notable alumni such as Robin Williams, Zac Efron, and Jessica Chastain. PCPA remains the only resident professional theatre company on California's Central Coast, committed to enriching the community through the art of live theatre and providing exemplary training for future theatre professionals.