Families with children and/or friends on the autism spectrum who intend to enroll in the ITP…read more(Inclusive Theatre Program, now called Inspired Theatre Program) classes at Area Stage, please read below before moving forward. Our daughter, now a 9-year-old girl on the spectrum who loves art and music in an incredible way, started her journey with Area Stage in mid-2024 by taking private lessons with Annette, an amazing instructor at Area Stage. Under Annette's guidance and patience, our daughter improved tremendously and was able to perform in three showcases where she sang and danced alongside other children. This success did not come without challenges. Raising and supporting a child on the spectrum can be very difficult. From meltdowns and lack of attention to struggles with taking turns and stimming, families connected to autism understand these behaviors can be caused by many factors such as inflexibility or sensory overload, which are often misunderstood by neurotypical people as misbehavior or poor parenting. Fortunately, everywhere we have gone to help improve our daughter's behavior and skills, we have been blessed with people who truly understand autism and know how to support autistic children, just like Annette did. That changed on May 14th, 2026, when our daughter's instructor had an emergency and could not attend class, so a substitute instructor was assigned to the ITP class. Our daughter had a rough day during class and, as we were told, she was not following directions and was being disruptive. She was repeatedly told not to do certain things because they were "not allowed," as if that alone has ever been an effective way to regulate or support a child on the spectrum. Our daughter was in deep distress, as she often becomes when something triggers a shutdown. Her behavior escalated to the point that the Director of Inspired Theatre Project, Irma Becker, stepped in and told her she was misbehaving, that wh. This is a 1 hour class. Meanwhile, I, her father, was sitting outside waiting for the class to finish. Once the time was up, I approached the door where the children exit from, but no one came out. As I got closer, I heard, "So who's coming to pick up this child today?" To my surprise, it was Irma asking who was picking up my daughter. When I explained that I was her father, Irma approached me aggressively and explained that my daughter did not want to participate and that she was a "mean girl" who pushed her multiple times while she was trying to get her to follow directions. My daughter was listening to everything Irma was saying because they were standing next to each other. While Irma discussed my daughter's behavior with me, my daughter became even more overwhelmed, yelling and completely out of control. I told Irma that I would talk to my daughter later at home, but she continued escalating the situation. In the middle of the chaos, she told me that we needed to discuss next year's enrollment because of my daughter's behavior, although she still had to commit to participating in this year's showcase. I was speechless and asked, "Do you even know that my daughter is on the spectrum?" In response, Irma began listing her titles and degrees in behavioral therapy, completely contradicting herself through her own behavior. It is truly sad that someone like this could be in charge of a program such as this one. We formally contacted ownership via email to explain the situation, hoping to schedule a meeting, discuss possible solutions, and receive an apology. Instead, we were told that after conducting an investigation with the people present, ownership concluded that Irma never said anything inappropriate about our daughter. Additionally, our daughter was removed from the inclusive program entirely only two weeks before her showcase. During a call with ownership regarding our email, the owner himself told us that he believed the problem with our daughter was that she was "not used to hearing no." Imagine saying that about a child on the autism spectrum, as if simply hearing "no" were ever a solution for autism-related behaviors. This was coming from someone who has never spent even a second with our daughter, yet still felt comfortable giving an opinion about her behavior. What I see here is a major red flag. When someone reports misconduct, unethical behavior, or unprofessional conduct and their concerns are immediately dismissed or denied, it creates an environment where that behavior can continue unchecked and potentially lead to even more serious problems. It is like calling a police department to report misconduct by the chief of police, only for the person making the complaint to be punished for speaking up. Thank you for creating a program that helps so many students with special needs. I truly hope this experience serves as an opportunity for growth and improvement so the program can become even more inclusive moving forward.

Went here to one of the Beauty and the Beast showings and it was fantastic! I was so impressed with…read morethe show and the immersive experience of the theater! I can't wait to see the next show, it was such a fun night and something that I have never experienced be. The only thing that I would have liked to be different is that the benches that we sat on had some sort of cushion. By the end of the show my backside and back were aching. The singing and acting was top notch!

I attend performances here regularly. Always top quality in a small theatre where all seating is…read moregood. It's at the Biltmore which is a fine location.

2nd time I've seen a play at this lovely, little theater & 2nd time I wonder how it took me so long…read moreto discover this gem. Housed in what used to be the old horse stables of The Biltmore Hotel, GableStage's mission is "to provide South Florida audiences with theatrical works of artistic excellence that confront today's issues and ideas." Last night's preview of August Wilson's HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED was a powerful, at times uncomfortable but extremely relevant one-man play. Looking forward to many, many more performances at my new favourite local theater!

Standing on the corner of Main Hwy and Charles Avenue in Coconut Grove is a gorgeous Mediterranean…read moreRevival building designed to resemble a Spanish Rocco Palace from the 1920's that has been abandoned. This is the Coconut Grove Playhouse. It was once the epicenter of the Miami theater scene. It opened on January 3, 1927 as part of the Paramount movie theater with a D.W. production of Satan of Sorrows. The 1,130 seat theater was designed by architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It was built by Miami local realtors Irving J. Thomas and Fin L. Pierce. Albert Peacock served as the contractor. The building originally had seven stores on the first floor, ten offices, on the second floor, and a third story of apartments. It was the second movie theatre on the east coast of Florida to be air conditioned. It also had the largest Wurlitzer organ in the United States. Although now blue, the original color of the building was sienna. In the 1930's the theater closed due to the Florida land boom bust, an economic downturn caused by two hurricanes and the Great Depression. During WWII the theater found new purpose as a school to train Air Force navigators. After the war the building was again closed until 1955 when George Engle, an oilman spent one million dollars on the theater to remodel it to accommodate the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami's first live theater. The renovated theater reopened on January 3, 1956, with the U.S. premiere of Samuel Beckett's existential play, Waiting for Godot starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell. Financial success eluded Engle in the ensuing years and the theater again closed in 1960. Producer Zev Buffman bought the building in March 1966 for more than $1 million. In 1970, former actor Eddie Bracken and his associates purchased the building. When Bracken's group failed to pay its debts, the Playhouse was sold at auction at the county courthouse. Arthur Cantor and Robert Fishko purchased the theater, and opened it for the 1971-72 winter season. Cantor and Fishko sold their interests in 1977. In 1980 the State of Florida became the owners. In 2004 the title was transferred to the Coconut Grove Playhouse LLC Inc. Through the years many famous people have performed at the theater including Jessica Tandy, Tallulah Bankhead, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Linda Lavin, Bea Arthur, George C. Scott, Colleen Dewhurst, and Ethel Merman. On November 22, 1996, the Late Show with David Letterman originated from the theater. In 2005 the Coconut Grove Playhouse was designated historic by the City of Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. Four million dollars in debt, the theater abruptly closed in 2006. It has not been used since. In 2013 The Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables and the University of Miami were able to get inside and rescue many of the items including costumes, playbills, documents, and posters. The items are being stored at the University of Miami. The Playhouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. It is so sad to see this majestic building with so much history shuttered. A master plan to renovate the theater was approved by Miami's Environmental and Historic Board on April 4, 2017 but it was appealed. Since then nothing has been done as the building is broken into by vagrants and allowed to rot. Miami has so many beautifully preserved historic buildings. I have faith that they will get it together eventually.

What a shame that this iconic historical building has still not been renovated, too much politics…read moregoing on as usual and meanwhile it justs rots away! Such a shame - Here is some history regarding it. The Coconut Grove Playhouse was a theatre in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. The building was originally constructed as a movie theater called the Player's State Theater. It opened on January 3, 1927, as a part of the Paramount chain. The movie house was designed by the architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott. It was built by local realtors Irving J. Thomas and Fin L. Pierce. Albert Peacock was the contractor. The theater was renowned as the second movie theatre on the east coa It was used for a variety of shows until closing in 2006. It has not been used since. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.n the 1950s George Engle, an oilman, bought it and spent over $1 million (equivalent to $47 million in 2017) in renovations having the architect Alfred Browning Parker convert it to a live theatre It reopened on January 3, 1956 with the US premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell. In the fifty years that have followed, the Playhouse has played host to many of theater's most renowned 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.

We went for our girls night in Miami & everything was so touching. From the art, interactive…read morevisuals, burlesque, and drinks. We were even talking about viewing the ones in Tampa and St. Lauderdale in the future. Sloan was so sweet and so worth supporting. We didn't want to leave and we wished this was assessable full time.

Fun live art experience! If you love art and creativity then you should definitely enjoy this…read moreevent! I went to the location at the Festival Bay Mall/Artegon. The line was a bit long but it moved fast once my friend and I realized the cash line was separated. Upon entering you have a food station with freshly made small portion food. I had tuna sashimi, mushroom veggie burger and truffle popcorn. All of it tasted great but my favorite was the tuna drizzled with soy sauce, sesame seeds, and some hard crusted tempura like crackers. So yummy! The rest of the space is filled with wall and live art with people painted in body art posing and being a part of the art themselves. Very unique and not your normal art event. There is a lot of nudity in the art and per the name of this event, you should leave your kids at home! Everything is tasteful which was great. It took my friend and I about 2 hours to look and enjoy. I'm so glad I finally experienced Nude Nite, you should too!!

Thank you Miami Film Festival for getting me to the Olympia Theater so much this week. The Olympia…read moreis one of my favorite venues in Miami, plus my eldest graduated here and thus, a cherished memory. There are no concessions, but the event sponsors didn't have a problem with people bringing in food. I don't know if renovations are being done, but upstairs and some stairs were closed. The rest rooms are on the second floor, I didn't see an elevator.

I'm glad that such a historical and beautiful venue and artifact remains for many to enjoy in…read moredowntown Miami. This is a large theatre perfect for movie premieres and debuts - with a large main floor and a smaller second floor. We came to visit during the Miami Film Festival - it gave the movie an aura of greater casual fanciness being showcased in such a venue. Easy entrance and easy exit; lots of food options across the street st Julia and Henry's and on the weekends - farmers market with delicious hummus and Italian delicacies. Grab a movie, a beverage and a stroll. Enjoy!

Great place to have a good time and see a good show, location is excellent with parking available lread more

Our family was invited to Trail theater for our brother's white coat pinning ceremony. The theater…read moreseemed old but well maintained. Everything about this place was smaller scaled including the seats, the theaters, and restrooms. There weren't too many people so the small space didn't feel cramped or overcrowded. They seem to play movies on regular days and have a place where you can buy limited food and drinks. It can be a nice place to come to when you are visiting coral gables area but I wouldn't drive out of the way just to come here. They offer plenty of parking spaces if you park in the parking garage. Be prepared to walk across the street. The weather was extremely hot so make sure you aren't wearing layered clothing in the afternoon time. Wear well ventilated clothes, stay hydrated, and wear ton of sun screen. Congratulations little bro on your accomplishment! I am very proud of you and wish you nothing but the very best!

I like the Villain Theater. It's very friendly and you can tell it is very open to the community…read more We went to one of their improv shows for date night and it was very fun. I didn't get to try the food since we came from dinner. But they offer a selection of drinks. The show did run a little bit longer than expected. What's cool is that there are opportunities for you to take improv classes and also take your company here for team building.

Had such a fun time at this venue, went to see a drag show and it didn't disappoint. They had…read moreplenty of drink options, too. Everyone that worked there was great, my only complaint is the parking situation, be prepared to circle a lot or uber!

I love this place! I have seen many shows here and have taken the improv classes. The staff and…read moretalent are amazing!! You should definitely stop by and see a show or even try a class. The place definitely has hole in the wall comedy venue feels with two different venues for improv (Main Stage or The Spotlight) and stand up (The Spotlight). They only sell light snacks and drinks (soda, wine, and beer) here, but it is fine since it is a comedy venue. I do like that their beers are from local Miami breweries. It's nice to see local businesses support local businesses.

If Harvard and Second City had a love child and raised it on cafecito and croquetas, it would be…read moreJust The Funny in Miami. Forget overpriced therapy--take an improv class here and you'll laugh your way to self-actualization while realizing your coworkers aren't nearly as funny as you thought. As a guest? The shows are flat-out killer. Sketch, stand-up, improv--pick your poison. They've been around since 1999, making them Miami's longest-running improv theater. That means they were making audiences spit mojitos out their noses before TikTok was even a twinkle in the internet's eye. As a student? World-class training at a price that doesn't make you cry into your cafetera. The instructors could probably run a small country--they know timing, character, storytelling, and how to pull comedy gold out of sheer chaos. I got a high-quality education here that beats half the corporate "leadership retreats" I've ever suffered through. Where else do you learn to think fast, connect with strangers, and leave with actual abdominal soreness from laughing? This is Miami, so you'll see a crowd that looks like it was cast by the United Nations, all laughing in unison at things you'd never hear in Peoria. The theater itself is an intimate black box with a bar that makes you feel like you're in on a secret. And you are--the secret is this: everyone should take an improv class. Your future self (and maybe your marriage) will thank you. Just The Funny isn't just Miami's best comedy spot--it's an institution.