Coconut Grove Playhouse
Historic former movie theater and live-performance venue in Miami's Coconut Grove neighborhood.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Coconut Grove Playhouse was a historic theater and former movie house in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The building began life as the Player's State Theater, opening on January 1, 1927, as part of the Paramount theater chain. Designed by architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott, it was built by local real-estate developers Irving J. Thomas and Fin L. Pierce, with Albert Peacock serving as contractor. Its early technical and architectural features included air conditioning, unusual for the period and reportedly making it the second air-conditioned movie theater on Florida's east coast, as well as a large Wurlitzer organ. The venue's most consequential transformation came in the 1950s. George Engle acquired the property and funded an extensive renovation led by architect Alfred Browning Parker, converting the movie theater into a live theater. The remodeled venue reopened on January 3, 1956, with the United States premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell. That opening established the Playhouse as a serious theatrical institution rather than simply a cinema. Over the following decades, the Playhouse hosted prominent performers including Maureen Stapleton, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Eve Arden, Tallulah Bankhead, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Linda Lavin, Bea Arthur, George C. Scott, Colleen Dewhurst, Ethel Merman, and Raúl Esparza. The venue also became associated with productions that later reached Broadway, off-Broadway, national touring circuits, London’s West End, or other major markets. Examples included Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, Urban Cowboy, Family Secrets, Fame: The Musical, and a revival of Death of a Salesman starring Hal Holbrook and Elizabeth Franz. The Playhouse operated with a large 1,700-seat Mainstage Theater and a smaller 100-seat Encore Room Theater. Its role extended beyond professional productions. Educational and community programs included an in-school touring initiative for students in grades six through twelve, Lizard Lessons for younger children, a summer theater camp, and Theater Stages, which offered instruction in acting, playwriting, costume and scenery design, and improvisation. The institution also served as a platform for local and emerging theater talent. In 1964 and 1965, the Miami Actors Company used the venue in an initiative associated with the National Theatre and Academy. The program was developed by Ilse Earl, and selected a small group of actors from the Miami area following auditions. Productions included J.B., All the Way Home, and Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. Leadership changes shaped the Playhouse's artistic reputation. José Ferrer became artistic director in 1982, and Arnold Mittelman succeeded him in 1985 after a national search. During this period the venue was described as one of the leading theaters in the United States. On November 22, 1996, the Late Show with David Letterman originated from the theater, making that episode the final installment of the program produced outside New York. The Playhouse closed in 2006 and has not resumed regular operation. In 2014, Miami-Dade County received state permission to take control of the property. Subsequent proposals debated whether to preserve the building's full historic fabric or retain primarily its facade while creating a smaller theater and adding commercial uses. Plans discussed a 300-seat venue associated with GableStage and Florida International University's theater program, while an alternative proposal envisioned a 700-seat theater with rehearsal, educational, and nonprofit arts facilities. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. The former Playhouse therefore remains significant both as a landmark of Miami's entertainment history and as an unresolved preservation and redevelopment project.
History
The building now known as Coconut Grove Playhouse opened on January 1, 1927, as the Player's State Theater, a movie house affiliated with the Paramount chain. Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott designed the building. Local realtors Irving J. Thomas and Fin L. Pierce were responsible for its construction, and Albert Peacock served as contractor. The venue was promoted through features that were notable for their time, including air conditioning and a large Wurlitzer organ. It was reportedly the second air-conditioned movie theater on Florida's east coast. The property changed direction in the 1950s when oilman George Engle acquired it. Engle invested substantially in a renovation by architect Alfred Browning Parker, converting the cinema into a live-performance theater. The renovated venue opened on January 3, 1956, with the United States premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, featuring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell. This production symbolized the Playhouse's transition from commercial film exhibition to ambitious professional theater. The theater subsequently developed a national reputation. Its stages presented well-known actors and productions, including work associated with Maureen Stapleton, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Eve Arden, Tallulah Bankhead, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Linda Lavin, Bea Arthur, George C. Scott, Colleen Dewhurst, Ethel Merman, and Raúl Esparza. Productions mounted at the Playhouse that later traveled to larger markets included The Sunshine Boys, Urban Cowboy, Family Secrets, Fame: The Musical, and a Death of a Salesman revival. The venue was also involved in local theatrical development. In 1964 and 1965 it housed the Miami Actors Company, an initiative connected with the National Theatre and Academy and developed by theater educator Ilse Earl. The company selected a limited number of Miami-area actors and staged works including J.B., All the Way Home, and Slow Dance on the Killing Ground. Ownership and leadership changed several times. Zev Buffman purchased the Playhouse in 1966 and sold it to Eddie Bracken in 1970. José Ferrer became artistic director in 1982, followed by Arnold Mittelman in 1985. Under this era of artistic leadership, the Playhouse was regarded as a leading American regional theater. Its facilities eventually included a 1,700-seat Mainstage Theater and a 100-seat Encore Room Theater. Programming extended beyond evening performances. The Playhouse operated educational initiatives for schoolchildren, teenagers, and adults, including touring productions, children's musical theater, summer programs, and classes in performance and theatrical design. The venue also gained wider media visibility when Late Show with David Letterman originated from it on November 22, 1996. The Playhouse closed in 2006. It has not returned to regular use. In January 2014, Miami-Dade County received authorization from the State of Florida to take over the building. Officials and arts groups then considered several redevelopment models. One proposal called for a 300-seat theater operated by GableStage in association with Florida International University's theater department. Another proposal, associated with Mike Eidson, envisioned a 700-seat theater, nonprofit arts facilities, rehearsal rooms, and educational space. Preservation debates centered on a plan by Arquitectonica that would remove much of the historic structure while retaining the facade, contrasted with restoration concepts developed by preservation architect Richard Heisenbottle that sought to keep the exterior and accommodate one or more performance spaces. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. Its continuing importance lies in the combination of its 1920s cinema architecture, postwar conversion into a major live theater, record of important productions and performers, educational work, and unresolved questions about adaptive reuse and historic preservation.
- 2018
National Register listing
[1]The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2014
Miami-Dade County takeover authorized
[1]The county receives state permission to take control of the property and evaluate future uses.
- 2006
Theater closes
[1]The Playhouse ends operations and remains unused afterward.
- 1996
Late Show with David Letterman originates from the venue
[1]The theater hosts the final episode of the program produced outside New York.
- 1985
Arnold Mittelman succeeds Ferrer
[1]Mittelman is selected after a national search to become artistic director.
- 1982
José Ferrer appointed artistic director
[1]Ferrer begins a period of artistic leadership associated with the theater's national reputation.
- 1970
Eddie Bracken becomes owner
[1]Zev Buffman sells the theater to Eddie Bracken.
- 1966
Zev Buffman purchases the theater
[1]Zev Buffman acquires the Playhouse.
- 1964
Miami Actors Company residency
[1]The Miami Actors Company uses the Playhouse for a professional training and production initiative.
- 1956
Conversion to live theater
[1]After renovation under Alfred Browning Parker, the venue reopens with the United States premiere of Waiting for Godot.
Products and positioning
A historically significant regional theater that combined professional drama and musical theater with education, community programming, and a prominent Miami cultural identity.
Live theater venue
Mainstage Theater
The principal auditorium of the Playhouse, described as a 1,700-seat proscenium theater. It hosted major dramatic productions, musicals, premieres, revivals, and visiting performers during the venue's active years.
Live theater venue
Encore Room Theater
A smaller 100-seat performance space that complemented the large Mainstage. Its intimate scale supported smaller theatrical works and expanded the Playhouse's programming capacity.
Arts education
Theater education programs
The Playhouse offered school touring performances, children's productions, summer theater activities, and classes covering acting, playwriting, costume and scenery design, and improvisation for children, teenagers, and adults.
Brand decisions
2014
County-led redevelopment evaluationStrategyBackground
Following the closure, Miami-Dade County sought authority to take over the building and assess possible cultural and commercial uses.
Action taken
The county pursued proposals involving a smaller GableStage venue, a possible Florida International University partnership, and an alternative larger theater concept.
Aftermath
The debate continued between partial demolition and facade retention on one side and more extensive restoration of the historic structure on the other.
2006
Closure of theatrical operationsOtherBackground
After decades of film and live-theater use, the Playhouse ceased operation.
Action taken
The venue closed and has not been used for regular performances since.
Aftermath
The property became the subject of prolonged public debate over preservation, redevelopment, and the appropriate size of a future theater.
1950
Conversion from cinema to live theaterStrategyBackground
The original movie theater was repositioned as a live-performance institution after George Engle acquired the property.
Action taken
A major renovation designed by Alfred Browning Parker transformed the building into a theater for professional stage productions.
Aftermath
The venue reopened in 1956 with the United States premiere of Waiting for Godot and became a significant regional theater.
Recent events
- 2018
Coconut Grove Playhouse added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]
Other
The building received national historic-register recognition, reinforcing the preservation issues surrounding its future.
- 2014
Miami-Dade County receives permission to take over the Playhouse[1]
Other
The county obtained state permission to assume control of the closed theater property while considering redevelopment and preservation options.
- 2006
Coconut Grove Playhouse closes[1]
Other
The theater ceased operations and has remained closed since then.
Sources1 sources
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