Working in the Theatre: Play at Home

When five Artistic Directors across the country (four in their inaugural term) were faced with the closure of their stages, they quickly banded together to produce an opportunity to keep theatre and art alive through a micro-commission program that would become Play at Home.

This growing program, now with over 100 plays, 100 playwrights, and $50,000 paid directly to those playwrights, allows us, the audience, to create the work from home. Whether you're reading these plays as a family quarantining together, via video conference, or by yourself on a quiet afternoon, this is an opportunity to spark your love of theatre.

Follow Stephanie Ybarra (Artistic Director, Baltimore Center Stage), Maria Manuela Goyanes (Artistic Director, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company), Jacob G. Padrón (Artistic Director, Long Wharf Theatre), Hana S. Sharif (Artistic Director, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis), and Oskar Eustis (Artistic Director, The Public Theater) as they share the story of creating this innovative project that continues to expand with other theatre companies across the country and inspires us all to hold on to the analog and digital ways of creating theatre in this uncertain time.

American Theatre Wing’s Working in the Theatre documentary series features the most fascinating people on the stage, behind the scenes, and in the audience. From Tony Awards® and Obie Awards® winning artists to the next generation of theatre makers, we capture theatre’s inner-workings, industry luminaries, and unique stories that surround important work.

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[aire]

A breath of fresh air is what you guys are!!! Thank you thank you!!! Prior to watching this video this morning I was explaining to my 7 year old son how superheroes are created with writing out a story of the character and it’s situation and then how a visual artist interprets the words and so on. Watching your video now inspires me to build them a little cardboard theater so they can create their own stories with their puppets. Thank you for being such a pure form of inspiration. Stay safe and God bless

[ausin]

This episode has inspired me to download a few of the plays and read with some friends via zoom this weekend.