The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company ("The Playhouse") was a regional theatre company, producing plays since 1962. Its first production was The Hostage by Brendan Behan, which opened on October 2, 1963. The company performed out of the Vancouver Playhouse, a civic theatre in Vancouver’s downtown core (at Hamilton and Dunsmuir), which is also home to the Vancouver Recital Society and the Friends of Chamber Music. Citing financial difficulties, the company announced that it would cease operations on March 10, 2012