Monterey County has one of the busiest performing arts calendars in all of California.
Many performances take place at the historic Sunset Cultural Center in Carmel. This building dates back to 1931. Since then, it has evolved from Carmel-by-the-Sea's first schoolhouse auditorium to the cultural heart of the Central Coast. Along with performers like Judy Collins and Wynton Marsalis, the center hosts regular performances by the Monterey Symphony and other local classical music organizations.
Pacific Repertory Theatre, known regionally as 'PacRep', is the only year-round professional theatre in the Central Coast region. The company presents a season ranging from Broadway musicals, comedies and dramas, to Shakespeare and the classics, and also presents world-class Performing Arts screenings. Performances take place at various PacRep venues including the Golden Bough Theatre, the Circle Theatre-in-the-Round and the Outdoor Forest Theater.