Reduced to a second-run theater after World War II, the building was shuttered in 1954 due to increasing competition from television. Rechristened the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the facility reopened as a live theater in 1956. The playhouse opened in 1927 as a movie theater for Paramount Pictures. Archives and History of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. Coconut Grove Playhouse Special Meeting this Wednesday, May 8th at 9 AM; April 26, 2019 - Coconut Grove Playhouse Special Meeting to be Held on May 8th at 9 AM; April 24, 2019 - The Latest on the Coconut Grove Playhouse Project; April 19, 2019 - We Need Your Help: The Deciding Moment for the Coconut Grove Playhouse Project In the six years since the Coconut Grove Playhouse shuttered, irreplaceable theatrical history has festered in a fetid, crumbling structure, endangered by everything from larcenous-minded vagrants to Florida's infamous mold-rich climate. Add to clipboard. Erected 2015 by Coconut Grove Civic Club and the Florida Department of State. During a history walk of Coconut Grove, Dr. Paul George describes the history of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Coconut Grove Playhouse. Suffering financially, the Playhouse would close once again in 1960, before being purchased by producer Zev Buffman in 1966 for $1 million, after leasing it for several years. Operating as a non-profit organization, it is now a nationally recognized regional theater. The Coconut Grove Playhouse Foundation was formed to advocate for the expeditious restoration and reopening of the historic façade and main stage theater, as well as the construction of supporting facilities. The theater was intended to be Miami’s most elaborate theater The Coconut Grove Theatre was then renamed the Coconut Grove Playhouse and re-opened on January 3, 1956 with a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot. In 2004, the state transferred the title over to Coconut Grove Playhouse Inc. with the requirement that it be operated as a theater. ASM0453; Collection; 1963-2012; In October, 1963, Charles Cinnamon, public relations director of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, organized a “Left Bank” art show to publicize the opening of Irma La Douce at the Playhouse. It’s time to make a revived Coconut Grove Playhouse one of our assets. Join our advocacy campaign by following us on Facebook. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is a noteworthy expression of the Florida Land Boom that has survived to the present day. Despite its turbulent history, the Coconut Grove Playhouse evolved into one of the most important regional theaters in the country and remains a beloved venue for the theatrical community in Miami. 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