Theatres That Have Opened - Easing the Emergency

[PSMKay]

Our thread about closed theatres has been a constant fixture over in The Hardline since 2009. It's struck me that by focusing on failing companies, we're ignoring the chance to celebrate the folks who are doing the hard work of starting new theatre companies. So here's your chance to help us be a little more uplifting here on SMNetwork. Have you worked on, heard about or attended a fledgling company's inaugural production? How about companies that have recently started offering AEA contracts? Companies that have finally started paying their staff after years of volunteer work? Let us know about them here so we can support these community members who are helping to keep the industry alive!

To start, I did a quick search of companies in my city that have mounted their first productions over the past 24 months. This is not an exhaustive list, but it's a start.

Adapt Theatre, Chicago IL. First production 2013.
Cole Theatre, Chicago IL. First production coming in 2014. AEA!
Definition Theatre Company, Chicago IL. First production 2012.
First Floor Theater, Chicago IL. First production 2012.
Haven Theatre, Chicago IL. First production 2013.
Innate Theatre Company, Chicago IL. first Production 2013.
Second Thought Theatre Company, Chicago IL. First production 2014.
TangleKnot Theatre, Chicago IL. First production 2013.
Wayward Productions, Chicago IL. First production 2013.

[KMC]

Thanks for posting this.  I tried starting a similar topic a few years back but it didn't garner much interest - hopefully this sticky will help the community look towards some of the positive things that are happening.

[Tempest]

Arís Theatre in Atlanta, GA. Opened June 2013.

[PSMKay]

More!

Appalachian Women's Theatre Troupe, Boone NC, First production 2013
Bit of a Stretch, Houston TX. First Production 2014
Burbank Community Theater, Burbank CA, First Production 2013
The Cake Shop Theater Company, NYC, First Production 2014, AEA
Finger Lakes Opera, Geneseo NY, First Production 2014
Ghost Light Theatre Company, Minneapolis MN, First Production 2013
Goshakes Theatre, Goshen IN, First Production 2013
Happy Few Theatre Co, NYC, First Production 2014
North Haven Repertory Theater, North Haven CT, First production 2014

Also note, I've added "companies who've started paying their staff" to the list of groups that can/should be mentioned here.

[lsears]

Odyessey Opera - Boston MA, artistic leadership and several key positions filled by folks from Opera Boston which closed unexpectedly in 2011.  First production was 2013.

http://www.odysseyopera.org

[PSMKay]

Articulate Theatre Co, NYC, 2013
The Bridge, Bridgeport CT, 2014
Bridgeport Theatre Company, Bridgeport CT, 2013
Carmel Theatre Company, Carmel IN, 2013 (Salvaged from defunct Carmel Rep)
Cobalt Opera, Chicago IL. First production 2014
Connecticut Theatre Company, New Britain, CT, 2013 (merger of Bristol Theatre Arts and New Britain Rep)
The Crude Mechanicals, Fayetteville AR, 2014
Double Dog Theatre, Hampton Roads, VA, 2014
Drive Theatre Co, Los Angeles CA, 2012
End of Moving Walkway, London, 2014
The Fern Theatre, Atlanta GA, 2012
Hub Theatre Company, Boston MA, 2013
Interrobang Theatre Company, Baltimore MD, 2013
Lady Parts Theatre Co, Rochester NY, 2013
Outre Theatre Co, Boca Raton, FL, 2012
Pittsfield Shakespeare in the Park, Pittsfield MA, 2014
A Portable Theatre Co, Columbus OH, 2013, AEA
Reduced Height Theatre Company, London, England, 2014 (All actors under 4' tall. Pet project of Warwick Davis)
Rising Sage Theatre, Decatur, GA, 2014
Theatre Harmony Ensemble, Tuscon AZ, 2014
Two Muses Theatre, West Bloomfield MI, 2012
What the Dickens, Bridlington, England, 2013

I should note that this puts us at 42 new companies on this page. Which approximately equals the number of companies we've discussed as "closed" in the other thread since it started in 2009.

If you're a member of any of these companies and have found yourself here from a random search engine trawl, thanks for all your hard work! Keep it up! We need you!

[Aerial]

Ocean State Theatre Company, Warwick, RI  late 2012/2013

[PSMKay]

A Theatre Near U, San Francisco, CA. (Teens) June 2014.
Studio Theatre, New Port Richey, FL. June 2014.

[Beatr79]

In the spirit of celebrating theatre success stories, I'd like to give a shout-out to the long-established, but once-struggling Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn NJ.  The theatre was in dire straits back in 2007 (before the recession began), complete with the emergency fund-raising drive, mandatory staff furloughs, and the down-sizing of their 5th show of that season to a staged concert instead of a full production.  I have many friends who were working out there when the crisis came to light, in the middle of tech for "7 Brides For 7 Brothers," and there was question every day if they would get paid this week, next week...

Flash-forward to the present: Paper Mill is alive and doing very well.  Two shows that originated at the theatre are currently running on B'way (Les Mis revival, and Newsies), with Honeymoon in Vegas coming in the fall.  Their next season has some other strong contenders for future life, and it has established itself as an ideal stop for a near-to-NY "out-of-town" try-out location. 

Back in 2007, things looked very bleak for them - here's hoping in the coming years, we'll see / hear other "back-from-the-brink" theatre companies and their stories.

[VSM]

Here's hoping we have as many posts in this thread as we did in the previous thread about closing...

[PSMKay]

Agreed, there is definitely a future. Question - there are a ton of funding campaigns running for new companies - do you want me to highlight some of those here too? Or just the ones that make it to opening?

[PSMKay]

Q44 Theatre Co, Burnley, Victoria, Australia. 2014.

[PSMKay]

Pwe, Yangon, Myanmar. 2014. (Article - Neat Concept.)

[PSMKay]

Troublehouse Theatre, Manchester, England, 2014

[SMdrum]

Shakespeare in Detroit, Detroit, MI, 2013
Slipstream Theatre Initiative, Ferndale, MI, 2014