Founded in 1981, the ensemble produces an average of four main stage productions per year, focusing on premieres from around the world, the West Coast, California, and Los Angeles.

[1] NOTE has earned consistent commendations from the Los Angeles press and national acclaim from publications such as American Theatre magazine, as well as many others.

As part of the 1987 Los Angeles Fringe Festival, NOTE produced Roger Gillis's All Talk and Jeff Sheppard's 2000 Fish at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica.

A number of other shows were also presented at FATE, including the premiere of Grubb Graebner's Arroyo Repo and also Cheryl Slean's Palmdale, developed at NOTE's Playwright's Workshop.

Early seasons in the Kenmore Avenue space included the productions of Paul Selig's Moon City, Leon Martell's Feed Them Dogs, Cheryl Slean's Swap Night, and John O’Keefe's Mimzibim!

After an evening of one-acts by resident playwright Dennis Miles, presented under the banner title For The Curious, Theatre of NOTE offered four full-length productions: Bright Room Called Day, by Tony Kushner,[3][4] Touch, by Toni Press-Coffman,[5] the eccentric and wildly poetic Monstrosity, written & directed by Christopher Kelley, and a fully orchestrated musical presentation of Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade, directed by Brad Mays, with a completely restored verse text.

Shakespeare's Richard III[7] and Moliere's The Learned Ladies were scheduled in between such pieces as Clyt At Home,[8][9] Fucking Wasps, Just Say No, and Fuckjoy.

In 2003 Theatre of NOTE produced the Steve Morgan Haskell play titled Fucking Wasps which followed Kinsey's life from childhood until death.

Written and directed by Steve Morgan Haskell, Fucking Wasps received many accolades, including a Playwriting of the Year nomination from Backstage West.

[citation needed] NOTEworthy is Theatre of NOTE's staged reading series, established to foster relationships with playwrights as they develop new works.