S. Mark Taper Amphitheatre at Coldwater Canyon

The lovely surrounding is what’s pushing this all the way up to a 5.
They hold plays and performances up here in the summer. The venue belongs to Tree People. It’s a woodland setting tucked away in the city.
You are not going to find contemporary cutting edge theatre here, and you’re not going to care either. The ensemble consists mainly of older, seasoned character actors, an up and coming rookie, and the occasional guest star. They are good at what they do.
They choose old chestnut plays that still have plenty of tread on them, and are loads of fun. Forget about natural dialog. The slurred kind, with loud background noise, where you can’t hear ¾’s of what the m.f. is saying. These people come from the days when actors were actors. Their vocal ranges and clarity are astonishing. I feel as if I’m listening to Richard Burton without the Welsh accent, prior to his marriage to Liz Taylor.
An absolute plus is that you can arrive early and picnic here. Thank god the taco trucks haven’t made it up treacherously windy Coldwater Canyon yet.
BYOM: Bring your own mug. They serve Peet’s coffee on the house, and the purchase of a brownie goes to support Tree People. What a fine excuse to eat a brownie.