Established in 1927, Theatre of Arts is recognized as the oldest school of acting west of New York City. The school has been in continuous operation since Ben Bard founded the Ben Bard Playhouse on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. When Ben Bard was named the Head of Talent at Twentieth Century Fox, he relinquished the school's operation to the famous director, Max Reinhardt. At that time the school became known as the Max Reinhardt Theatre Workshop and was subsidized by the five major studios. Two years later, Max Reinhardt went on the road with his production, A Midsummer Night's Dream, starring Mickey Rooney and Olivia DeHavilland.