Gem Theater

This is simply the best little theater! Top shelf entertainment! Quality shows! Must see!

Sometimes a theatre space can be a release from the ordinary. We go to these raised stages and fall into darkness hoping to lose ourselves or perhaps find pieces we lost along the way. Located on Main Street at the cusp of old town Garden Grove is a theater who’s name does provide itself as a shining beacon to new talent and hungry arts: The Gem Theatre.
The exterior has a large marquee with shiny bulbs to light up the silhouettes of the outside world. Inside, the deco of this theatre reminds you of a tiny version of community college drama classrooms. It is hardly larger than two living rooms placed together with a slight elevation from front row to back. The stage is adequate though it could probably hold no more than an ensemble of 10 people plus setting without squeezing the stage for space. The lobby area has a concession stand next to the restrooms and it feels quaint but also as lonely as a discount movie theater lobby on a school night. It all feels oddly familiar and a little sad at the same time; like watching one of your favorite movies when you were a kid but now grown up.
The plays that come here range widely. From small independent plays of local talent to the bigger productions of famous musicals, this theatre has an eclectic variety of shows coming through its curtains. Not all are great. You can see how some of the indie shows arise with modest and even humbler acting. However, I would argue it is by that very nature of raw talent and passion which fuels the genuine novelty of such a venue. It is the effort and dream manifested with each play that brings to life and truly lives up to the title of this being a gem of a theatre.
So if you find yourself at this theatre for a play, whether big or small, just take a breath of atmosphere and know you are helping take flight someone’s search for the stars. Hopefully that will help you float along too.

I came here with my three friends to watch Little Shop of Horrors. It was amazing how the plant had so much personality from its beginning as a sprout to huge. I have seen at least five different plays here over three years and have always been entertained. The performers entertain with singing and dance. The stage design, costumes, and live music is what live stage theater is about. The space is small, so I have not found a bad seat for viewing. Tickets are $ 25 but they are sold for half price on Goldstar.

Great little…“GEM”…of a place! Went to see Little Shop of Horrors last night and sat front row and loved it! The theater is just the right age of ‘old’, where you can appreciate the history, yet it still functions. Kudos to those who keep it up. Tickets are affordable (20-​ish), acoustics are good, I’ll be back!

My first time at this venue, and I saw Anything Goes. It’s the best musical production I’ve ever seen at a local theater. I am beyond impressed with the talent here. I will be back for whatever they do next!

Saw Legally Blonde The Musical today; it was fabulous. My 1^st time at this theater; very cute & quaint location

We found The Gem last year and have continued to go back for more. I have become extremely spoiled because I know that I will always be able to see and hear without an issue. Every seat in this quaint theater is good. I love the variety of shows. Evita and Gypsy during the last year were more main stream theater versus Violet and Assassins. Around Christmas time they have a show called «The Holiday Gem» which is perfect for all family members to enjoy and it helps nudge a person into the holiday spirit. I love the opportunity to see shows that are not the usual fare of community theater. The shows are consistently great! If you are already a theater lover or want to just experience theater this is the place to go.
A side note is that you should try to find out a bit about the show before you go so that you are not «shocked» by what is in the show. It is not the theater’s fault if you are uncomfortable with some of the content.

Beautifully renovated theater that offers high quality productions. Staff is super friendly. Always a treat to see a show at the Gem!

Quaint theatre with all the looks of the 20’s! It is a wonderful place to see young up and coming artists. Excellent directors each time I’ve gone! We saw GYPSY and ASSASSINS with wonderful leads. It’s a diamond in the rough. Support the Arts!

This cute little community theater on Main Street in Garden Grove is a great addition to the community. It is impossible to have a bad seat, because there are probably less than 100 seats.
There was a little dessert bar set up off to the side of the main entrance that was serving cupcakes, brownies, rice crispy treats, cookies, etc. I didn’t partake, so I can’t comment on this.
We were there to see a production of Evita. I don’t consider myself to be much of a theater critic, however I found myself wanting to split at intermission. The theater could use a little TLC in the janitorial department. The ladies room had quite a collection of cobwebs going on.

‘Violet’ viewed last week
Cute theater and interesting story. I was not happy with the very realistic sex scene. Not what I expected. Maybe it had an ‘R’ rating that I didn’t see. I was embarrassed that I initiated this event and brought my conservative friends. Like most sexual content, it was unnecessary to the story and could have been portrayed without the bumps and grinds.

A fantastic way to support the community and have a great time all at once! The shows here are always fun and high quality. Seems like they are always musicals, which I LOVE! The cost is super fair (especially when you think about the cost of a movie these days!) and the staff is very friendly! The treats at the snack bar are super delicious!

This little theater, located in the heart of Historic Garden Grove, is a lovely little «gem» of a theater, where quality productions of your favorite, or soon to be favorite, musicals are staged. The price is right, too, at $ 25.00 per ticket, a little more for our Gala performances when champagne and hors d’ouvres are served after the show. There are also several fun restaurants andbas within walking distance, so you can dine or enjoy a cocktail before or after the show.
Come visit the Gem Theater soon. For more info go to:

Great place to see a show. The quality is always first class here. Have seen most of the shows here in the past few years and all have been entertaining. Theater is small but comfortable. Love the location as you can walk to many different restaurants on the Historic Main Street in Garden Grove.

This is a very small venue however the productions have always impressed me. I often get tickets at discount from
. something I wanted to see was performed here last year. I expected a mediocre community theater production however was very surprised by the talent, sound, and professional production. I’ve seen into the woods, best little whore house, you’re a good man charlie brown, on the way to the forum. and have enjoyed every one. It’s not ocpac or l.a. music center but the productions are enjoyable. The theater clean and being updated more every time I visit. I enjoy the homemade selections at the snack bar.

I’ve driven by this theater on Main St. about a bazillion times but had yet to stepped foot into it until this weekend. I’m not a huge fan of plays & even less of a fan of musicals. So you can just imagine my enthusiasm when the bf told me that he’s dragging me to go see a musical called, «A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.» (He had to see a play for a class)
It must be the angle in which I pass by this theater or something but I had this assumption that it was a relatively large outdoor theater. Who knows if they do have some performances outside but the musical I saw was inside a pretty small theater. It holds about 180 seats but it looks a lot smaller. The theater itself feels a bit aged but they are in the middle of adding new seats & all that jazz so that’s definitely a plus.
Aside from the fact that we were at least 40 years younger than all the other viewers in the theater, the staff was very friendly and welcoming. The show itself was pretty funny and I don’t know much about acting but it seemed to be good! If I ever need to see another play, I would definitely come back.