Company History

Late in the 50's, armed with some paper, pencil, and an indomitable spirit, a group of musical theater lovers from the Walnut Creek area gathered for the first time with the idea of creating their own amateur company to produce their favorite Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. After considering several names for the new company, they decided to name it after the gentle, taciturn mountain which overlooks the area.  The Diablo Light Opera Company was born.

The initial performances were in very modest quarters.  With the years came steady growth, and the company gradually moved to larger and larger venues as their notoriety spread.  In the early 90's, after a long stay at a converted walnut shelling house, the company became one of the anchor tenants at the Lesher Center for the Arts, a state-of-the-art theatrical facility capable of supporting large-scale musical productions.

Over the years, Diablo Theatre Company has grown to become a staple of the theatrical community in Contra Costa County, just east of San Francisco Bay. We produce two mainstage musicals each year, drawing up to 14,000 patrons for each production. We also offer a summer teen theater program (Stars 2000) and theater training through the Firehouse Rocks! program.

Please see article on Diablo Theatre Company's 30th Anniversary (Diablo Magazine - 1990)