Mission: “To engage, educate, and provoke young people and their families with excellent theatre and arts education.”

Vision: We believe that the young people we reach today will grow up to be active participants in their communities who are notable for their generosity, independent thinking, and passion for the arts. We envision a change in the culture of Los Angeles: people animated by a greater sense of inter-connectedness, empathy and humanity. Elements include:

-Bringing families together so that outstanding shared artistic experiences give families substantive topics for conversations.

-Creating consistently great theatre and arts education in a compassionate space where we hold a responsibility for the well-being of our community.

-A place where neighborhood residents come for inspiration. People leave with their hearts full, and, over time, with their lives changed.

-24th Street is a destination for community gatherings where everyone is welcome and equal. We function in many ways as a secular church, where people are creating community through shared experiences with powerful theatre.

24th Street Theatre was launched as a professional theatre in 1997 in a South Los Angeles neighborhood facing myriad urban challenges. Conversations with a diverse group of residents about why a theatre was needed in this community encouraged 24th Street founders to reconsider their definition of what a theatre could be. Residents requested school programs, afterschool activities for children, and a cultural resource. This community dialogue guided 24th Street’s evolution to a hybrid arts organization equally committed to professional theatre for English- and Spanish-speaking audiences and K-12 arts education. The theatre’s “More than Just Plays” tagline reflects the theatre’s community pillar status, the diversity of roles it plays in its low-income, immigrant neighborhood, and its prominence as an innovator and leader in K-12 arts education.