5 Theatre Companies That Support Emerging Playwrights
Classic works of theatre, from Shakespeare plays to Sondheim musicals, have been delighting audiences for decades and, in some cases, centuries. But theatre is a living art form, and the only way for it to continue to evolve is for new playwrights to have the opportunity to see their writing come to life on stage. The companies listed here are dedicated to producing new work, supporting living playwrights, and inspiring the next generation of artists. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
Theatre Companies That Showcase Contemporary Playwrights
| Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Project Y | New York, NY |
| The Fountain Theatre | Los Angeles, CA |
| Bluebarn Theatre | Omaha, NE |
| Ensemble Theatre Company | Santa Barbara, CA |
| Keen Company | New York, NY |
Facts about Live Theater in the U.S.
- Average annual expenditure on plays, theater, opera and concerts per consumer in 2018: $66.61
- Percentage of foreign visitors attending plays, musicals, and concerts in the U.S.: 17.1%
- Number of performances by not-for-profit theaters in 2018: 38,346
- Total revenue in 2019 for the live performance theater industry: $9 billion
- Between 1990 and 2005, the number of non-profit theaters in the United States with budgets of at least $75,000 doubled
- From 2008-2014, attendance of musicals declined 9%, while attendance of non-musicals declined 12%
- Mean hourly wage at performing arts companies: $28.56
- Mean hourly wage of independent artists, writers, and performers: $29.26
The Process Of Playwriting
8 Great Film Adaptations of Plays & Musicals
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
- The Sound of Music (1965)
- Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
- Cabaret (1972)
- Doubt (2008)
- Sweeney Todd (2007)
Top 10 States Ranked by Number of Nonprofit Theaters Per Capita
As of 2005, according to the National Endowment for the Arts
| State | Number of theaters per 100,000 people | Population (in millions) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Vermont | 2.2 | 0.6 |
| 2. | Alaska | 1.7 | 0.7 |
| 3. | New York | 1.3 | 19.3 |
| 4. | Maine | 1.2 | 1.3 |
| 5. | Montana | 1.2 | 0.9 |
| 6. | Rhode Island | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| 7. | Oregon | 1.1 | 3.6 |
| 8. | Connecticut | 1.0 | 3.5 |
| 9. | New Hampshire | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| 10. | Minnesota | 1.0 | 5.1 |
What Is Theatre?
In Depth
For budding playwrights, having the support and guidance provided by professional theatres can be a critical factor in their future success. From festivals to labs and workshops that teach the fundamentals, there are a wide variety of programs to choose from. Here, in no particular order, are drama companies that focus on nurturing these fresh new theatrical voices.
Starting off the list at #1 is Project Y, a community of artists, designers, and playwrights devoted to developing new shows through staged readings, video projects, workshop productions, and fully produced world premieres, with a focus on one venture at a time. Its Playwrights Group is a selective workshop that meets to read and discuss new work. Participants include alumni of The O'Neill and Juilliard.
Project Y's Women In Theatre Festival is a curated festival of new plays and innovative performances, such as an all-female cast of Three Musketeers 1941, and the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, which features a prince who prefers baking and a princess who likes fighting with swords. You can support the organization and its mission through monetary donations or by volunteering.
Project Y's Women In Theatre Festival is a curated festival of new plays and innovative performances, such as an all-female cast of Three Musketeers 1941, and the classic fairy tale, Sleeping Beauty, which features a prince who prefers baking and a princess who likes fighting with swords.
In the #2 spot is The Fountain Theatre, a nonprofit producing organization dedicated to providing a creative home for multiethnic theatre and dance artists. It develops new works that reflect the concerns and cultural diversity of contemporary Los Angeles and the nation. Its Playwright Submissions program seeks works with ethnic, political or social issues, as well as those with lyrical and poetic qualities.
Fountain for Youth offers programming that provides arts education in underserved schools. It encourages students from different backgrounds to engage with each other through acting games and exercises that cultivate their communication skills. They are introduced to the key elements of playwriting, with the program culminating in the production of original plays. You can support the cause through a one time or ongoing donation.
At #3 is The BLUEBARN Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska, which focuses on producing boundary breaking plays that provoke thought, such as Red Summer, written by Beaufield Berry, a local playwright and novelist. The production explores the black migrant experience in America and commemorates the city's race riots of 1919, as well as the torture and lynching of Will Brown, an African American man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman.
The production explores the black migrant experience in America and commemorates the city's race riots of 1919, as well as the torture and lynching of Will Brown, an African American man accused of sexually assaulting a white woman.
The BLUEBARN Theatre is a member of the National New Play Network, an alliance of nonprofit professional theaters dedicated to the development, production, and continued life of new plays. It also hosts the world's largest digital library of scripts by living writers and serves playwrights, directors, actors, professors, and theater fans.
Coming in at #4 is the Ensemble Theatre Company, which presents new plays and updated interpretations of classic works for a broad audience. The Young Playwright Festival program provides a forum for budding scribes to create short plays which are subsequently produced and staged with professional directors and actors for public audiences. Students learn the basic principles of dramatic composition, how to create characters, and compose original scenes.
Camp Broadway offers aspiring young performers the chance to expand their skills by exposing them to the fundamentals of acting, singing, and dancing. This training program offers individual attention, ensemble building, character development, and improvisation exercises. To help support these programs, you can join the Legacy Society, which allows for gifts to the Ensemble Theatre Company.
To help support these programs, you can join the Legacy Society, which allows for gifts to the Ensemble Theatre Company.
Closing out the list at #5 is Keen Company, which produces dramas and musicals designed to provoke identification, reflection, and emotional connection. Its Playwrights Lab brings together three American playwrights in mid career to develop new work and facilitate its exposure to a greater audience. Writers meet throughout the year to create new plays, culminating in a reading attended by the community, theater industry, and general public.
Keen Teens improves the quality of plays written for the high school stage by commissioning scripts from accomplished playwrights and immersing local teens in a professional theater experience. The program results in the world premiere performances of three newly commissioned one act plays. The organization has been honored with numerous Drama Desk Nominations. You can show your support by attending a production or through a recurring monthly donation.
