Regional theater in the United States
A regional theater or resident theater in the
Overview
Regional theaters often produce new
Many regional theaters operate at least two
Theaters that develop new work, like the
The two major organizations that help to maintain the general welfare of resident theater in the United States are the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and the Theatre Communications Group (TCG). These organizations encourage communication and good relations between their members and in the community, as well as promoting a larger public interest and support of regional theater.
There are currently 74 LORT theaters located in 29 states and the
The TCG’s mission is similar. TCG’s constituency has grown to encompass more than 700[7] members throughout the United States. They publish the American Theatre Magazine, the ARTSEARCH online employment bulletin, and dramatic literature.[8]
In recognition of the importance of regional theaters in America, the
The Little Theater Movement
In the second and third decades of the twentieth century, there was a push to get away from the conservative, mainstream ideology of Broadway.[10] The Little Theatre Movement was a precursor of the Regional Theater Movement; it was started by theater artists interested in experimentation and exploring social issues through the dramatic arts. The movement altered the face of the American stage and allowed room for new works and new audiences.[11]
Success and controversy
When the first national organization of nonprofit theaters was formed in 1961, there were only 23 regional theaters in the U.S. By 2003, the number of regional theaters had grown to 1,800.[1] As non-profits, they rely heavily on donations from patrons, and some theaters have been accused of "pandering to the audience," subordinating their artistic ideals to the need for donations.[12] Nonetheless, nonprofit theaters are under less pressure than commercial theaters.
See also
- Community theatre
- List of LORT Member Theatres
- Regional Theatre Tony Award
- Broadway theatre - for the other main category of American theatre
References
- ^ a b Zoglin, Richard (27 May 2003). "Bigger than Broadway!". Time. Archived from the original on September 9, 2009. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ Whitehead, Jaan. "Art Will Out"[1], American Theatre, October 2002.
- ^ Chapman, Jonathan Shmidt; Halpern, Emma (2019). Envisioning the Future of Theater for Young Audiences (PDF). National Endowment for the Arts.
- ^ "Who We Are | League of Resident Theatres". lort.org. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
- ^ League of Resident Theatres, <www.lort.org>
- ^ "For Institutions: Is Art the Bottom Line?"[2], American Theatre, May/June 2003.
- ^ Group, TCG: Theatre Communications. "TCG: Theatre Communications Group > Membership > Membership Directory". www.tcg.org. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
- ^ Theatre Communications Group, <www.tcg.org>
- ^ "FAQ - About". TonyAwards.com. Retrieved 2018-10-03.
- ^ "Composing Ourselves": The Little Theatre Movement and the American Audience, Dorothy Chansky. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2004
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ Dower, David. "Putting the Regional in Regional Theater." Arena Stage: New Play Blog. 11 April 2009. <http://npdp.arenastage.org/2009/04/putting-the-regional-in-regional-theater.html>