Mount Tamalpais dominates the edge of the North Bay landscape and can be seen coming into and leaving Sausalito towering high above. Famous with area visitors and hikers and mountain bikers for the stunning vistas and scenic trails, “Mt. Tam” is also known and loved by locals in the North Bay communities for the annual production of The Mountain Play.

The Mountain Play is an annual event that puts theatergoers into the outdoors for a combination that is unforgettable and uniquely enjoyable. Set in an outdoor amphitheater with stunning views of the San Francisco Bay Area as a backdrop, spectators get a theater experience like no other.

Origins of the Mountain Play

Starting in 1913, when the Mountain Play held its inaugural performance, the Play has been an annual attraction in the North Bay and remains one of the uniquely “North Bay” experiences of the region. Long a haven for artists, the Sausalito and Mill Valley communities have always had an artistic bent and a disposition well suited to artists and performers of all stripes. For the first showing in 1913, visitors either hiked the 8-plus miles in from Mill Valley and surrounding areas or rode the Tamalpais Railroad to the theater on top of the mountain.

Enjoying a loyal and ever-expanding following over the years, the nonprofit that administrates the Mountain Play has renovated and added on to the naturally occurring original amphitheater and modernized it slightly to accommodate more visitors in greater comfort.

The Mountain Play Today

Since the 1970’s, the Mountain Play has been producing and showing the most well known and best of Broadway musicals on the mountain and has also taken to expanding portions of their seasonal programming to other venues such as parks and vineyards in Sonoma County. The family friendly programming and accessible nature of both the theater and the troupe itself adds a charm and keeps visitors coming back year after year.

The Mountain Play has also always had an eye toward inclusion and accessibility for those with physical and other disabilities and offers free bus shuttles up and down the mountain, sign language interpretations during performances, and special accommodations for sight and other handicaps.

Weather permitting, the Mountain Play welcomes more than 4,000 visitors to each show and shows no signs of slowing.

Experience The Mountain Play

The Mountain Play offers a truly unique theater experience to visitors allowing them to plan and spend an entire day on Mt. Tamalpais and enjoy both the outdoors and the theater in the same family outing. Many patrons choose to hike the mountain beforehand, many even hiking out after the performance concludes. A very common sight at the Mountain Play performances (and one that you won’t see going to the theater in other venues) is the picnic lunches and snacks that the audience typically brings to enjoy on the mountain.

A uniquely North Bay experience, The Mountain Play on Mount Tamalpais is an easy trip up from Sausalito and an unforgettable experience.

Mountain Play
177 E. Blithedale
Mill Valley, CA 94942
(415)383-1100
www.mountainplay.org