Explore Performing Art Spaces

Built for the World’s Fair of 1962 and now operated by Cornish College of the Arts as its highest-profile venue, the Playhouse presents a full range of performing arts events open to the public.

434 seat capacity including 6 ADA seats (with companion seats)

Climate-controlled studio space for auditions, rehearsals, readings, intimate performances, and more. The space is equipped with a piano, lights and sound system.

75 seat capacity | 110 standing capacity

A true Seattle landmark, built by the Sons & Daughters of Norway (1915) with carved ornamentation. Includes upright piano and Keyboard, theatrical lights, and sound system. This space has been used for theater and dance productions, as well as other Seattle arts events.

75 seat capacity | 150 standing capacity

The Scene Shop at Cornish is a well-equipped space consisting of over 7,000 square feet that includes a full paint shop, properties/crafts work areas, metal shop, woodshop, and loading dock. The Scene Shop is centrally located in downtown Seattle, directly across from the Seattle Center, which hosts many of Seattle's professional theater companies, providing students access to and interactions with working theater professionals. It is also home to a full metal shop (Scotchman cold saw, MIG welding, full paint shop, Glowforge), a full woodshop (Saw Stop table saw, panel saw, pneumatic tools, current inventory of hand tools, Dewalt drills, and impact drivers, band saws, drill press, belt sanders and more), and the prop shop (adhesives, metals, wood, fabric, wire, paper, paints, different types of foam, mediums, waxes, dyes, feathers, magnets are all within the props students' fingertips). 

Additionally, “Paintland” as it is affectionately called, is a dedicated space, located in the far corner of the Scene Shop. Long tables straight down the center of the work area act as a mixing surface with stir stick and paint storage to maximize effectiveness when mixing custom colors. The walls are lined with custom organization solutions to make finding tools a breeze. (Two filtered paint sinks, full complement of Rosco scenic paint, large variety of scenic and household brushes, many textured rollers and sponges for various mark-making techniques, bamboo and straight-line sticks for floor and drop painting, paint/texture sample library created from Cornish’s production history.)

The Cornish Costume Shop is a 2,000 square foot workspace with natural light and features a costume collection of over 8,000 pieces. This collection includes period costumes as well as modern clothing and built pieces acquired throughout the decades.  The Costume Shop provides both a workspace resource for students as well as production space for produced shows in collaboration with the Dance, Performance Production and Theatre departments.  We strive to create an inclusive environment that stresses collaboration, communication, and compromise as part of our guiding principles.