Hot, Hip and on the Verge
A dozen young American companies you need to know
First question first: Are these the dozen companies that are heralding our theatrical future? Of course not. Hundreds of young, under-the-radar theatre troupes are capturing audiences and creating buzz in arts-friendly neighborhoods, storefronts, community centers, converted warehouses and basements, in cities large and small—confirming that the theatrical impulse is something utterly innovative and unquenchable.
American Theatre selected this dozen as emblems of the wave of American companies that have formed or come into prominence within the last five years—particularly companies with strong missions or aesthetic thrusts. Mostly, we put our ear to the ground to hear what local theatre-watchers were talking about. Our representative dozen is by turns tenacious and permeable, ambitious and on a budget, esoteric and low-brow. The work ranges from re-envisioned classics (with or without clowns) to new work by contemporary playwrights; it's vaudevillian, dance-centric, visual art–focused, music-infused, socially conscious, ethnically organized—and fun.
Of course, numerous other such companies exist in myriad
forms, probably not far from where you're sitting. We encourage you to find them. —Sarah Hart
Bedlam Theatre, Minneapolis
Black Dahlia, Los Angeles
BlueForms Theatre Group, Columbus, Ohio
Charter Theatre, Washington, D.C.
The Civilians, New York City
Defunkt, Portland, Ore.
The Dirigo Group, Austin
Flaneur Productions, Minneapolis
Mad Dog, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Out of Hand Theatre, Atlanta
Silk Road Theatre Project, Chicago
Son of Semele Ensemble, Los Angeles
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