Potrero Stage
The Verdict
"A 99-seat theater in Potrero Hill that produces new plays and intimate dramas. The small house means every performance feels close and immediate. Tickets are reasonable and the company consistently picks smart, challenging material."
What you need to know
Potrero Stage is a 99 seat theater on Southern Heights Avenue that focuses on new plays. Operated by PlayGround, the nonprofit behind the annual Festival of New Works, this venue exists specifically to develop and produce original theater that has not been staged elsewhere.
What to Expect
Most of what you see here is a world premiere or close to it. PlayGround commissions short and full length works from Bay Area playwrights, develops them through readings and workshops, and stages the ones that are ready. The result is programming that feels genuinely unpredictable. Some nights you catch something brilliant. Occasionally something does not land. That is the deal with new work.
The theater itself is small and well designed. Sightlines are good from every seat and the space feels professional without being sterile. The audience tends to be engaged and theater literate, which makes for better energy in the room.
Visiting
Address: 1695 18th Street, Potrero Hill
Capacity: 99 seats
Season: Year round programming with the Festival of New Works as the flagship event
Cost: $15 to $40 depending on the production
Tickets: Available through PlayGround’s website
Getting There
The 22 Fillmore Muni bus stops nearby. The 19 Polk and T Third Muni lines are also within walking distance. Street parking on 18th Street and surrounding blocks is generally available for evening performances. The 16th Street Mission BART station is about a 15 minute walk west.
Skip this if you want guaranteed hits or big name actors. This is a development theater. The excitement is in not knowing what you will get.
📍 Location: This activity is in Potrero Hill. Explore the neighborhood →
