TheatreWorks (Silicon Valley)

TheatreWorks (Silicon Valley) is a non-profit, professional theater company based in Menlo Park, California and founded in July, 1970.

The company is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) and employs some 300 artists annually, including Equity and non-Equity actors, directors, designers and specialty artists. It is the 3rd largest repertory theater in the Bay Area behind American Conservatory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The company stages a year-round season of eight productions-- comedies, dramas, and musicals --in the state-of-the-art Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and in the graceful, California Mission-style Lucie Stern Theatre complex in Palo Alto. The company is currently led by a 24-member board of trustees, a full-time staff of 49, and entertains 100,000 patrons a year including 9,400 season subscribers on a budget of about $7.1 million. [cite web
last= Hurwitt
first= Robert
title=TheatreWorks Getting National Attention
url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/22/PKGA116LP1.DTL
publisher=SFGate.com
date=2008-06-22
accessdate=2008-06-25] TheatreWorkers, the company's volunteer guild, numbers 200 strong.

History

Beginnings - 1970s

TheatreWorks began as the dream of Robert Kelley, a Bay Area native who earned his degree in creative writing from Stanford University in 1968. After teaching at Andover Prep in Massachusetts for a year, Kelley returned to Palo Alto, California in 1970. As a musician and occasional actor, Kelley decided he wanted to make his living doing theater. He got his chance when the city of Palo Alto then asked him to launch a theater program that would engage teenagers and reflect the concerns of the community. The result was a powerful and original new musical called, "Popcorn", which premiered in July of 1970. "Popcorn" spoke volumes to the local community and reflected the tumultuous changes of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

"Popcorn" became the launching point for a Golden Era of Creativity for the company. In the first 3 years, 13 new productions were written and performed. The small company performed anywhere they could find space - basements, parks, and even old warehouses. But Robert Kelley and TheatreWorks had gained a reputation for putting no limits on creativity. During this time TheatreWorks became known for two distinct qualities -- outstanding production values and diversity on stage. Despite a small budget, the influx of talented artists from around the Bay Area allowed TheatreWorks to create extraordinary sets and costumes. The company also regularly featured performers of color on the stage at a time when it was a rare occurrence. By the end of the decade the company had grown to include a six-member Board of Directors, four full-time staff, 700 season subscribers and a budget of nearly $150,000 per season.

1980s

In the 1980s, the company focused on diversity and innovation. Newly-hired Associate Artistic Director Anthony J. Haney led the charge to increase awareness of TheatreWorks among top caliber performers of color in the Bay Area and to gain credibility in the African-American, Asian, and Latino communities. in 1981, a world premiere musical, "The Fireworks Rag", written by Kelley, was the company's first primarily African-American cast. Furthermore, the company continued to introduce Silicon Valley audiences to plays and musicals never before seen on Bay Area stages. The company shifted its focus from writing new material every few years to finding and illuminating the works of emerging authors from around the country. The Stage II Series was implemented where smaller productions by lesser known authors could be explored and produced. In 1985, Randy Adams was hired as the company's first managing director and within three years, TheatreWorks had signed its first contracts with the actor's union, Actors' Equity Association, and reached the $1 million mark for its annual budget. By the end of the decade Theatreworks had a 16-member Board of Directors, 11 full-time staff, 5500 subscribers and a budget of $1.7 million.

1990s

In the 1990s, the company took up residence in the newly built Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts for 5 performances each season, while still keeping 3 performances in their original home, the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto. They built the fully functional black box stage in Cubberley Center in Palo Alto, to accommodate the Stage II series. The company encountered new opportunities to produce world premieres with established artists. In the early 90's, the company presented the world premiere of "Josephine", a musical based on the life of Josephine Baker, starring Della Reese. They also mounted a national casting search seeking an all-Native American cast for a new musical called "Honor Song for Crazy Horse". TheatreWorks continued to top itself in audience attendance and critical acclaim, until the end of the decade when the company had a 20-member Board, 30 full-time staff members, 8500 subscribers, and a $4.5 million budget.

2000s

In the new millennium, TheatreWorks put in renewed energies toward developing New Works. Most notable was the launching of the New Works Initiative, which strives to support the creation of new work by providing writers with the resources to explore their ideas. In 2005, Randy Adams left the company, which led to the national search to bring in a new managing director, Phil Santora. The company continued to produce world premieres, and in fall 2007 they staged their 50th world premiere, "Emma", a musical version of the popular Jane Austen novel. The musical which would go on to be TheatreWorks' top-grossing, most-attended production ever. Today the company continues to evolve and grow as it presents new and groundbreaking musicals and plays.

Complete repertoire

^**World Premiere
^*Northern California or West Coast Premiere
⁺Regional Premiere
* 1970:
*:"Popcorn^**"
* 1971:
*:"Garden of Delights^**"
*:"Triad^**"
*:"Elements^**"
*:"Dreameaters^**"
*:"The Bungleberry Statement^**"
*:"Adventures Underground^**"
* 1972:
*:"Gramdu^**"
*:"Bits^**"
*:"A New Song^**"
*:"Garden of Delights (Revival)"
*:"Theatre of Marvels^**"
*:"The Children's Crusade^**"
*:"Collaboration^**"
*:"The Comedy of Errors"
* 1973-1974:
*:"Celebration (musical)"
*:"Cry, Wolf^**"
*:"Odd Bodkins^**"
*:"An Italian Straw Hat"
*:"As You Like It"
*:"The Theatre of Marvels^**"
*:"Odd Bodkins (Revival)"
*:"Cabaret"
*:"Sideshow^**"
*:"Sliding Down the Rainbow^**"
* 1974-1975:
*:"Spoon River Anthology"
*:"A Man's A Man (Musical)^**"
*:"Chantecler (Musical)^**"
*:"The Country Wife (Musical)^**"
*:"The Tempest"
*:"Theatre of Marvels^**"
*:"Under Milk Wood"
*:"Sideshow II"
*:"Memyself the Wicked Elf^**"
* 1975-1976:
*:"Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris"
*:"The Hostage"
*:"Story Theatre (Musical)^**"
*:"Don Juan (Musical)^**"
*:"Romeo and Juliet"
*:"Everyman (Musical)^**"
*:"Macbeth"
*:"The Zoo Story"
*:"The World of Carl Sandburg"
* 1976-1977:
*:"Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill"
*:"Ah, Wilderness!"
*:"The Gibson Girl^**"
*:"Thieves Carnival"
*:"Two Gentlemen of Verona"
*:"Godspell"
*:"Kennedy's Children"
*:"She Stoops to Conquer"
* 1977-1978:
*:"The Fantasticks"
*:"The Mound Builders^*"
*:"The Robber Bridegroom^*"
*:"Much Ado About Nothing"
*:"Scapino"
*:"The Crucible"
*:"Oliver!"
*:"Twelfth Night"
*:"The Goodbye People^*"
* 1978-1979:
*:"Carnival"
*:"The Misanthrope"
*:"The Servant of Two Masters (Musical)^**"
*:"Vanities"
*:"The Merchant of Venice"
*:"Hold Me!"
*:"Voices"
*:"The Wizard of Oz"
*:"The Tavern"
*:"Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead"
*:"Uncommon Women and Others"
* 1979-1980:
*:"The Country Wife (Revival)"
*:"Charley's Aunt"
*:"Side by Side by Sondheim"
*:"The Taming of the Shrew"
*:"The Time of Your Life"
*:"The Comedy of Errors (Musical)^**"
*:"Cold Storage^*"
*:"La Ronde"
* 1980-1981:
*:"Working^*"
*:"Misalliance"
*:"We're in the Money^*"
*:"A Midsummer Night's Dream"
*:"Hamlet"
*:"Festival^*"
*:"Salt Lake City Skyline^*"
*:"Sly Fox"
* 1981-1982:
*:"Man of La Mancha"
*:"The Fireworks Rag^**"
*:"Whose Life Is It Anyway^*"
*:"The Merry Wives of Windsor"
*:"On Golden Pond^*"
*:"Down River^*"
*:"Pippin"
*:"Da Night of the Iguana"
* 1982-1983:
*:"Company"
*:"Ain't Misbehavin"
*:"To Grandmother's House We Go^*"
*:"As You Like It"
*:"Strider^*"
*:"Oliver!"
*:"The Woolgatherer^*"
*:"The Great White Hope"
* 1983-1984:
*:"A Little Night Music"
*:"The Belle of Bourbon Street^**"
*:"They're Playing Our Song"
*:"Cyrano de Bergerac"
*:"Spokesong"
*:"Oliver! (Revival)"
*:"Children of a Lesser God
*:"All's Fair^*"
*:"Through the Wilderness to the Stars^**"
* 1984-1985:
*:"On the Razzle^*"
*:"Catsplay^*"
*:"Eubie"
*:"Romeo and Juliet"
*:"Tintypes"
*:"Oliver! (Revival)"
*:"The Elephant Man"
*:"A Life^*"
*:"Saturday, Sunday, Monday^*"
* 1985-1986:
*:"...And A Nightingale Sang^*"
*:"Baby^*"
*:"Foxfire"
*:"Twelfth Night"
*:"Anything for a Laugh^**"
*:"Oliver! (Revival)"
*:"Baby (Revival)"
*:"Duet For One (Stage II)^*"
*:""MASTER HAROLD"...and the boys"
*:"Merrily We Roll Along^*"
*:"Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander"
*:"Catchpenny Twist (Stage II)^*"
* 1986-1987:
*:"Little Shop of Horrors"
*:"Home"
*:"Isn't It Romantic^*"
*:"Talking With... (Stage II)"
*:"Much Ado About Nothing"
*:"Brighton Beach Memoirs"
*:"Oliver! (Revival)"
*:"84 Charing Cross Road (Stage II)^*"
*:"Casualties^**"
*:"Sunday in the Park with George"
*:"Taking Steps^*"
* 1987-1988:
*:"A...My Name is Alice (Stage II)"
*:"You Can't Take It With You"
*:"The Rink^*"
*:"The Learned Ladies"
*:"Benefactors"
*:"The Mystery of Edwin Drood"
*:"Cat's-paw (Stage II)^*"
*:"Peter Pan!"
*:"Eleemosynary (Stage II)^*"
*:"Rough Crossing^*"
*:"Pacific Overtures"
*:"In the Sweet Bye & Bye^*"
* 1988-1989:
*:"Pump Boys and Dinettes (Stage II)"
*:"Two Gentlemen of Verona"
*:"Stepping Out^*"
*:"Dreamgirls"
*:"T Bone N Weasel (Stage II)^*"
*:"The Front Page"
*:"Peter Pan! (Revival)"
*:"Ma Rainey's Black Bottom"
*:"Rags^*"
*:"The Boys Next Door^*"
* 1989-1990:
*:"Candide"
*:"A Walk in the Woods^*"
*:"The Tempest"
*:"The Voice of the Prairie (Stage II)^*"
*:"Broadway Bound"
*:"Fraulein Dora (Stage II)^**"
*:"Oliver! (Revival)"
*:"Tea"
*:"No Way To Treat A Lady (Stage II)^*"
*:"Big River"
*:"I'm Not Rappaport"
*:"Our Lady of the Desert (Stage II)^**"
* 1990-1991:
*:"Galileo^*"
*:"My Children! My Africa!^*"
*:"The Miser"
*:"Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (Stage II)^*"
*:"Brilliant Traces (Stage II)^*"
*:"Emerald City^*"
*:"Into the Woods"
*:"De Donde^* (Stage II)^*"
*:"Steel Magnolias"
*:"Rashomon"
*:"Vital Signs (Stage II)^*"
*:"Go Down Garvey^**"
* 1991-1992:
*:"The Good Doctor"
*:"Miami Lights^*"
*:"O Pioneers!^*"
*:"Hi-Hat Hattie! (Stage II)^*"
*:"Les Liaisons Dangereuses"
*:"Peter Pan! (Revival)"
*:"A Rosen by Any Other Name^*"
*:"Interpreters (Stage II)^*"
*:"Sweeney Todd"
*:"Talk-Story (Stage II)^**"
*:"Shakin' the Mess Outta Misery^*"
*:"New Business (Stage II)^*"
* 1992-1993:
*:"Prelude to a Kiss"
*:"The Human Comedy^*"
*:"M. Butterfly"
*:"Love Letters (Stage II)"
*:"God's Hands (Stage II)^**"
*:"Jar the Floor^*"
*:"Into the Woods (Revival)"
*:"A Normal Life^*"
*:"Theme and Variations (Stage II)^*"
*:"Once on This Island"
*:"Mrs. Klein (Stage II)^*"
*:"The Royal Hunt of the Sun"
*:"Our Lady of the Tortilla (Stage II)^*"
* 1993-1994:
*:"La Bête^*"
*:"The Heidi Chronicles^*"
*:"Josephine^**"
*:"Sparks (Stage II)^*"
*:"The Skin of Our Teeth"
*:"Almost September^*"
*:"Marvin's Room^*"
*:"Tiny Tim is Dead (Stage II)^*"
*:"The World Goes 'Round"
*:"Scotland Road (Stage II)^*"
*:"Honor Song for Crazy Horse^**"
*:"A Small Delegation (Stage II)^*"
* 1994-1995:
*:"Ain't Misbehavin"
*:"Ah, Wilderness!"
*:"A...My Name is Still Alice (Stage II)"
*:"Nagasaki Dust^*"
*:"The Old Boy (Stage II)^*"
*:"Into the Woods (Revival)"
*:"As You Like It"
*:"Conversations with My Father^*"
*:"The Lady from Havana (Stage II)^*"
*:"The Secret Garden"
* 1995-1996:
*:"If We Are Women^*"
*:"She Loves Me"
*:"Broken Eggs (Stage II)"
*:"Someone Who'll Watch Over Me^*"
*:"Tapestry, A Musical Revue of the Music of Carole King (Stage II)^*"
*:"The Man Who Came to Dinner"
*:"Under Milk Wood"
*:"Two Trains Running"
*:"Wrong For Each Other⁺"
*:"Passion^*"
* 1996-1997:
*:"Equus"
*:"Sweet & Hot: The Songs of Harold Arlen^*"
*:"You Never Can Tell"
*:"Cabaret"
*:"Holiday Memories^*"
*:"Voir Dire^*"
*:"Another Midsummer Night^*"
*:"Camping With Henry and Tom^*"
* 1997-1998:
*:"Heart Land^**"
*:"Once in a Lifetime"
*:"Blues for an Alabama Sky^*"
*:"Kiss of the Spider Woman"
*:"Moon Over Buffalo^*"
*:"The Night of the Iguana"
*:"Putting It Together^*"
*:"Romeo & Juliet"
* 1998-1999:
*:"Talley's Folly"
*:"Raisin"
*:"An American Daughter^*"
*:"Side Show⁺"
*:"Present Laughter"
*:"Amadeus"
*:"Psychopathia Sexualis^*"
*:"The Joy Luck Club^*"
* 1999-2000:
*:"Sunday in the Park with George"
*:"As Bees in Honey Drown^*"
*:"Pride's Crossing^*"
*:"Violet^*"
*:"You Can't Take It With You"
*:"Everything's Ducky^**"
*:"Fences"
*:"The Cripple of Inishmaan^*"
* 2000-2001:
*:"Gypsy"
*:"The Old Settler^*"
*:"Master Class"
*:"Grapes of Wrath (play)"
*:"Triumph of Love^*"
*:"The Last Night of Ballyhoo^*"
*:"Far East^*"
*:"Floyd Collins^*"
* 2001-2002:
*:"Summer of '42^**"
*:"Over the River and Through the Woods^*"
*:"Pacific Overtures"
*:"Spinning Into Butter^*"
*:"Charley's Aunt"
*:"Old Money^*"
*:"Oo-Bla-Dee^*"
*:"Kept^**"
* 2002-2003:
*:"Smokey Joe's Cafe"
*:"Be Aggressive^*"
*:"Ragtime"
*:"The Syringa Tree^*"
*:"On Golden Pond"
*:"Book of Days^*"
*:"The Legacy Codes^**"
*:"Jane Eyre (musical)^*"
* 2003-2004:
*:"Proof (play)"
*:"^*"
*:"Nickel and Dimed^*"
*:"A Little Night Music"
*:"The Fourth Wall^*"
*:"Memphis (musical)^**"
*:"All My Sons"
*:"My Antonia^**"
* 2004-2005:
*:"Arcadia'
*:"Red^*"
*:"A Little Princess^**"
*:"Living Out^*"
*:"Striking 12^*"
*:"Shakespeare in Hollywood^*"
*:"Vincent in Brixton^*"
*:"Crowns^*"
* 2005-2006:
*:"Dolly West's Kitchen⁺"
*:"Harold & Maude: The Musical^*"
*:"Intimate Apparel^*"
*:"Baby Taj^**"
*:"Into the Woods"
*:"The Clean House^*"
*:"Anna in the Tropics^*"
*:"The Sisters Rosensweig"
* 2006-2007:
*:"Vanities, A New Musical^**"
*:"Brooklyn Boy^*"
*:"M. Butterfly"
*:"Dessa Rose^*"
*:"The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue^*"
*:"Ambition Facing West^*"
*:"Trying^*"
*:"Merrily We Roll Along"
* 2007-2008:
*:"The Elephant Man"
*:"Theophilus North⁺"
*:"Emma^**"
*:"Golda's Balcony"
*:"Twelfth Night"
*:"Third (play)⁺"
*:"Southern Comforts⁺"
*:"Caroline, Or Change"
* 2008-2009:
*:"Snapshots^*"
*:""
*:"Grey Gardens (musical)^*"
*:"Radio Golf⁺"
*:"Long Story Short^**"
*:"Twentieth Century (play)⁺"
*:"It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues⁺"
*:"Distracted⁺"

ee also

*American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, California
*Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley, California
*San Jose Repertory Theatre, San Jose, California
*Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley, California
*List of LORT Member Theatres

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Young
first = Steve
coauthors = Randy Adams, Davide Jensen, Robert Kelley, Bruce McLeod, Leslie Martinson, Nancy Kauffman, Ragey
title = TheatreWorks: 20 Years of Magic
year=1989
publisher=TheatreWorks

External links

* [http://www.theatreworks.org/ TheatreWorks.org] official website
* [http://www.ci.mtnview.ca.us/mvcpa/mvcpa.html Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts] official website