Geffen Playhouse in Westwood

Westwood Village is no doubt one of Los Angeles’ most cherished neighborhoods and the recent revitalization effort is a most welcome endeavor. I was pleased The Times took notice of these recent changes (“Westwood, the Sequel,” Aug. 4), but was perplexed as to the article’s failure to mention one of the most visible signs of Westwood’s renaissance, namely the Geffen Playhouse.

The Geffen Playhouse was purchased by UCLA in 1993 and renamed in recognition of a $5-million donation from the Geffen Foundation. During this transition, Steve Martin’s wildly successful comedy, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” opened to rave reviews and ran for an unprecendented nine months before moving to New York. Over 100,000 theatergoers came to Westwood to see that production and rediscover the charm this village had to offer.

In October, we will launch our first full subscription season. As we have noted--and as The Times has previously noted--the Geffen Playhouse is poised to take its place alongside the leading arts organizations in Southern California.

GILBERT CATES

Producing Director

Geffen Playhouse