My Journey Through The Music Center MARK TAPER FORUM

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They Dare to Be Bold

In 1967, three years after the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion opened, the Mark Taper Forum opened. It was designed by architect Welton Beckett and named for S. Mark Taper, who was an important developer and civic leader in Los Angeles. The word forum dates back to ancient Rome and is another word for theatre. Center Theatre Group uses the Mark Taper Forum to present exciting, new plays and bold, new voices in theatre. Many of the plays performed at the Mark Taper Forum are being presented for the very first time.

One thing you will notice right away is that the Mark Taper Forum is smaller than the other three venues at The Music Center. It has only 738 seats. This is to give every person in the audience the feeling that they are up-close with the actors on stage. Being close to the actors helps the audience experience and feel the story being told.

A play is like a movie only it is performed live. Like a movie, the performers act out a story. They follow a script that tells them what to say, where to stand, when to walk on stage, when to walk off. At a movie, you are transported to a place in time as you watch the screen. In a play, you are actually in the room with the actors as they live out their story.

Fun Fact

Did you notice the shape of the building? The Mark Taper Forum is completely round

Check Out The Taper

MARK TAPER Forum

Fun Facts

That’s just ducky!

The reflecting pools that surround the Mark Taper Forum are occasionally occupied by families of ducks.

A hands-on experience

As you walk into the front entrance, check out the 87-foot-long wall in front of you. Each piece of abalone was individually cut and secured by the artist. You are welcome to feel the unique texture.

Better to buy a postcard

You cannot bring any camera to photograph or videotape the performances in any of the four Music Center venues.

Vocabulary words

Production Manager: Person in charge of the technical end of a show’s production. This includes the sound, lighting, set construction and scene changes during the performance.

Understudy: An actor or actress who knows the lines and is prepared to replace a leading actor/actress if they cannot make a performance.

Blocking: Working out where the actors will stand and move during a performance. Off stage or Backstage: The places at the sides or the back of the scenery not seen by the audience.

Downstage: Towards the front of the stage.

Upstage: Towards the back of the stage.