The Marjorie Luke Theatre

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The Marjorie Luke Theatre

Dubbed "The People's Theatre," The Luke truly is where Santa Barbara's home-grown arts thrive. (CYPAC). No other campus in SBUSD possesses this amazing service.

The goal of The Marjorie Luke Theatre is to provide a high quality, accessible, affordable performing arts venue that offers culturally diverse and relevant programming to the Santa Barbara community and students of Santa Barbara Unified School District. The Marjorie Luke Theatre was created through a highly unique partnership between the SB Unified School District and the non-profit organization

called the SB Community Youth Performing Arts Center, Inc. This agreement allows CYPAC to manage and operate The Luke and serve SBJHS staff, faculty, and students for their school needs in the theatre, while also serving the community at large. The Luke staff is paid entirely by privately raised funds – not school funds! CYPAC also maintains the theatre interior and equipment, thus it looks as great today as it did upon completion of the $4 million renovation in the fall of 2003. The theatre staff also works directly with students, training them in technical skills, operations of equipment, and set building. Having a fully staffed, high quality, historic, and award-winning theater on a junior high school campus is highly unique! Check out our website for the amazing line-up of local events and internationally known artists appearing at The Luke, and encourage your students to take advantage of this incredible asset right here on our campus. SBJHS utilizes The Luke about 55% of the year, while community arts and education groups rent the theatre about 45% of the year. The restoration was driven by parents and alums who are passionate about arts education and who were inspired by Marjorie Luke herself, who taught theatre at SBJHS for 14 years. Alum Anthony Edwards was the lead donor ($600,000) and earned the privilege of naming the facility in her honor. Sadly, Marjorie Luke passed away in 2007 but thoroughly enjoyed seeing the theatre come back to life. Over 160 groups in the area have used The Luke since 2003. The Dreier Family Rent Subsidy Fund gives approximately $20,000 annually to local groups to help them afford to rent the theatre. Enjoy, and see you at The Luke soon!

08/17/2026

Meet our Discussion Panelists and Performers for our upcoming Pride Movie Night!

This event will kick off Pacific Pride Foundation’s Pride Week with a special screening of the award-winning documentary “50 Years of Fabulous: The Story of the Imperial Council.” The film celebrates the remarkable history of the Imperial Council and the legacy of its founder, José Sarria, whose vision helped create safe spaces, build community, and advance LGBTQ+ equality and advocacy.

The evening will open with a special performance by the Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus, followed by the film. The post-film discussion features David Lassman (Chablis), film producer and 36th Empress of San Francisco’s Imperial Council, along with representatives from Pacific Pride Foundation. We will also be joined by Afrika America, Absolute Empress 60 of San Francisco’s Imperial Council, activist, performer, and social justice advocate.

Join us for an inspiring evening of film, music, history, and Pride! Tickets are on sale now at LukeTheatre.org.

08/11/2026

We are just ONE WEEK AWAY from our special screening of "50 Years of Fabulous: The Imperial Council Story" join The Luke and Pacific Pride Foundation in kicking off Santa Barbara's Pride Week! 🏳️‍🌈

"50 Years of Fabulous: The Imperial Council Story" celebrating the remarkable history of one of the world’s oldest and most influential LGBTQ+ organizations. The documentary traces the Imperial Council’s inspiring journey. From creating safe spaces and building community in San Francisco to becoming a powerful force in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, the film reflects on five decades of progress, while also exploring the ongoing work to protect and advance civil rights for future generations.

Tickets are on sale NOW at www.LukeTheatre.org! 🎫

07/30/2026

🏳️‍🌈 Mark your calendars for a special evening as we partner with Pacific Pride Foundation to kick off Santa Barbara’s Pride Week!

🎥 Join us for a screening of the film "50 Years of Fabulous: The Imperial Council Story", celebrating the remarkable history of one of the world’s oldest and most influential LGBTQ+ organizations. The documentary traces the Imperial Council’s inspiring journey. From creating safe spaces and building community in San Francisco to becoming a powerful force in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, the film reflects on five decades of progress, while also exploring the ongoing work to protect and advance civil rights for future generations.

🎟 Tickets are on sale NOW at www.LukeTheatre.org!

04/12/2026

Kick off Earth Day with The Marjorie Luke Theatre! We are excited to continue our Green Film Series in 2026. We will launch the 2026 series on Sunday, April 12, with a Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace. The forum will present a special programming partnership between Santa Barbara Botanic Garden & The Marjorie Luke Theatre.

The event will begin at 2:30pm with a robust, festival-style marketplace, showcasing local eco-friendly businesses and nonprofit organizations offering practical ways to create more sustainable landscapes and environments.

Following the Marketplace, enjoy four short films produced by the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden at 4:00pm, illustrating a real-life native plant transformation project at Santa Barbara’s Elings Park. After the screenings, former Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider will moderate an informative panel discussion with local environmental experts.

04/11/2026

Santa Barbara Junior High School Performing Arts club presents our spring musical, “Spamalot,” coming Friday and Saturday, April 10-11 @ 7PM. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and are sold at the door.

04/08/2026

Sunday, April 12, 2026 🌿 Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace
🤝Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace - 2:30 pm - The event begins with a robust festival style Marketplace, showcasing local eco-friendly businesses and nonprofit organizations offering practical ways to create more sustainable landscapes.
🎥Following the Marketplace - 4:00 pm - Enjoy four short films produced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, illustrating a real-life native plant transformation project at Santa Barbara's Elings Park.
🌏Following the Film - 5:00 pm - Join former Mayor of Santa Barbara Helene Schneider, for a moderated post-film panel discussion with local environmental experts. Free plants will be handed out at the end of event!

The Marketplace is free to the public. Ticket for the screening are available at LukeTheatre.Org.

04/05/2026

🌿The Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace is a special programming partnership between Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and The Marjorie Luke Theatre.
🌏At 2:30pm starts the festival style Marketplace, showcasing local eco-friendly businesses and nonprofit organizations offering practical ways to create more sustainable landscapes. At 4:00pm enjoy four short films produced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, illustrating a real-life native plant transformation project at Santa Barbara's Elings Park. Following the film at 5:00 pm join former Mayor of Santa Barbara Helene Schneider, for a moderated post-film panel discussion with local environmental experts.

04/02/2026

🌏Our Green Film Series returns in 2026, featuring thought-provoking films, engaging panel discussions, and inspiring speakers focusing on important environmental issues. Kicking off our third season is the Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace, a special programming partnership between Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and The Marjorie Luke Theatre.🌿

04/01/2026

🤝 Spring Gardening Festival & Marketplace - 2:30 pm - The event begins with a robust festival style Marketplace, showcasing local eco-friendly businesses and nonprofit organizations offering practical ways to create more sustainable landscapes.

🎥 Film Screenings - 4:00 pm - Enjoy four short films produced by Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, illustrating a real-life native plant transformation project at Santa Barbara's Elings Park.

🎤 Environmental Panel - 5:00 pm - Join former Mayor of Santa Barbara Helene Schneider, for a moderated post-film panel discussion with local environmental experts.

03/31/2026

We’re still buzzing from Saturday ☕✨
Grateful for the energy, the community, and every single person who showed up to make our first Coffee Culture Festival unforgettable.

Address

721 E Cota Street
Santa Barbara, CA
93103

Telephone

+18058844087

Website

http://www.luketheatre.org/

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