The Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse

Founded in 2012 by Suzanne Ryan, part of a group of talented and dedicated people that included Marshelle Giggles-Mills (our artistic director), the Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse of Woodland Hills exists to create a safe and vibrant theater community in the West San Fernando Valley. Flying in the face of the local "pay to play" companies, we never require actors to pay membership dues or fees of any kind.

 

Our non-profit company is spearheaded by a dedicated board of directors tasked with producing exceptional work close to home. 

In October 2012, we became a Community Partner with the Woodland Hills Community Church, where we perform in historic Harter Hall. 

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Suzanne's maternal grandfather, Charles Stewart Howard, made his living in the New York theater in the 1930's and 40's. A Harvard graduate with a degree in accounting, he could not ignore the call of the stage.  He worked in Eddie Dowling's production office on the first production of "Glass Menagerie" and managed several summer theaters on the Straw Hat Circuit in New England, including the Millbrook Summer Theater and the Cape Playhouse in Dennis Massachusetts. As a manager, he also acted, directed and did whatever it took to put on a show.   

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Howard believed that theater should challenge the audience and impact the fabric of our society. He was one of the original (if minor) backers of "Finian's Rainbow," which unfortunately opened the same weekend as "Brigadoon" and so was a bit overlooked.  

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His grandfather was George Cunnabel Howard, who, along with his wife (Caroline Fox Howard) and his brother-in-law (George Washington Lafayette Fox) traveled New England with a very successful road show of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" before the Civil War. His daughter, Cordelia Howard, played Little Eva. (It's worth Googling.) 

 

Our hope is that this theater continues to challenge us and our audiences to reach further and live bigger than we ever thought we could.  

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