SAN GABRIEL — San Gabriel is inviting photographers to help document one of the city’s best-known landmarks before it turns 100. The Mission Playhouse Photo Contest asks residents to capture the theater’s architecture, character and connection to the community ahead of its 2027 centennial.
The city will accept submissions from Sept. 8 through 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Participants may submit up to 10 photographs taken with professional cameras or mobile phones. Judges will consider creativity, quality and connection to the community.
Winners will be selected for interior, exterior and community choice categories. The top 10 photographs will appear at centennial events throughout 2027.
Mission Playhouse Photo Contest Celebrates History
The theater at 320 S. Mission Drive opened in 1927 as a permanent home for John Steven McGroarty’s “Mission Play.” The production told the story of California’s missions and had previously been staged in a wood-frame theater near Mission San Gabriel.
The new theater featured Mission Revival architecture and an auditorium designed for the large production. Historical city materials describe a cast of 150 and a production lasting about 4½ hours.
San Gabriel purchased the Playhouse in 1945 and renamed it the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium. The city restored the Mission Playhouse name in 2007. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
Today, the Playhouse remains an active performing arts venue. It hosts more than 80 music, theater and dance performances each season. The building also hosts graduations and public meetings and has served as a filming location.
Photographers Get Special Interior Access
The Mission Playhouse Photo Contest will also give participants two opportunities to photograph the theater’s interior.
The Playhouse will open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. Participants must sign a waiver before entering.
Photographers can focus on the auditorium, decorative details and other features that have helped define the building for generations.
The contest carries the theme “Capture history. Celebrate culture. Showcase San Gabriel.” Complete contest information and submission details are available through the City of San Gabriel photo contest page. More information about performances and the historic venue is available on the Mission Playhouse page.
Capturing A Landmark At 100
The contest gives residents a role in recording how the Playhouse looks as it approaches its second century.
Some images may focus on its architecture. Others may capture families, performers or visitors gathering around a landmark that has served San Gabriel since 1927.
Together, the selected photographs will create a community record during a milestone year, connecting the Playhouse’s long history with the people who continue to use and experience it today.
