An ongoing discussion for the theatre community, existing through this website and through the #2amt hashtag on Twitter. On Twitter, you can also follow or participate in discussions about new play development through the #newplay hashtag. Much like Howlround, this is a new, positive development, utilizing technology to foster the development of new work.
The labor union representing more than 49,000 actors and stage managers in the United States. The site includes casting notices (Casting Call), a document library, and an overview of member benefits.
From humble beginnings 37 years ago, Alternate ROOTS has grown to provide a national resource to artists, organizers, and cultural workers, championing activist artists, particularly in the Southern United States. It presents a number of artistic/social change programs and a fine set of related links.
American Association of Community Theatre
A networking site for community theatre practitioners. Charges a membership fee, but provides resources for more than 7,000 theatres, more than a 1.5 million volunteers, and 46,000 productions per year, entertaining 86 million people. Which is to say, community theatre continues to be a vital art. The organization presents a theatre festival and a new play festival, and the site includes production resources and a job board.
Association of Performing Arts Presenters
A national service, advocacy, and professional organization for performing arts presenters. Develops and supports the performing arts industry and its professionals. Holds an annual APAP|NYC conference. More than 5,000 national and international members from: performing arts centers, arts venues, university and municipal performance facilities, artist agencies, and management companies touring companies, consulting practices vendors, and self-presenting artists. In other words, most anybody that sells tickets. The site covers news, events, and ways to participate.
Broadway Cares/Actors Equity Fights AIDS
One of the nation’s leading, industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. Draws upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, and has raised more than $250 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the U.S. The sites presents news, events, and ways to donate or participate. It’s worth noting that these folks have been doing this since 1988, putting their time and money on the line before such support became more widely accepted. Bravo!
Canadian Actors’ Equity Association
Actors Equity for Canada, with a site offering resources much like the U.S. organization.
Canadian Association for Theatre Research
Serves to expand theatre research in Canada. Preserves and interprets Canada’s theatrical past and investigates areas of contemporary theory and performance. Promotes research and publication, and encourages the collection and analysis of Canadian theatre materials, and maintains a communications network. Publishes Theatre Research in Canada and produces a biannual newsletter and an Internet site and electronic discussion forum (CANDRAMA).
A labor organization representing directors. Contracts, news, events, awards, and training programs. It also probably has some of the most entertaining decision-making meetings ever.
Journalists, critics, and writers covering New York theatre, presenting awards for Broadway, off-Broadway, not-for-profit, and off-off-Broadway productions. The site mostly covers the Drama Desk Awards, but also provides some industry information.
Goethe Society of North America
Dedicated to encouraging on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his time. GSNA members receive the Goethe Yearbook. The site includes news, scholarship, Goethe quotations (always handy), and links to related sites.
Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors
Expands job opportunities for Hispanic actors, provides educational services and awards for excellence in theater, and reduces stereotyped portrayals of Hispanic culture, people, and heritage in the arts and media. Great work. The site includes information on workshops and seminars, networking, casting, career counseling, and advocacy.
HowlRound’s founders thought artists should have a greater say in the management of American theater. The site and its Twitter connection caught fire, and HowlRound has grown into 25,000 readers, 500 contributors to Howlround’s journal, 50,000 hours of HowlRound TV, 4,000 organizations and artists who have put themselves on the New Play Map http://newplaymap.org/ (not the same as NNPN’s), and 400 convening participants. Participants share dissonant opinions, engaging in-depth dialogue, and promote best practices, in the hope of ensuring a vibrant future for theatre. An essential site.
Members like Ibsen. To wit, the Society fosters productions and scholarship on the great playwright. Promotes a deeper appreciation of Ibsen’s work.
An intriguing site, serving some 125 outdoor theatres across the U.S., dedicated to serving historical outdoor theatre. The site includes: member resources, camping profiles, publications, and job postings.
An organization dedicated to the work of Bertold Brecht, in English and German. A source for students, dramaturgs, directors, actors, and scholars.
Serves over 200 theaters, from storefronts to giant regionals. Search engines for finding theatres and shows/tickets. A great introduction to Chicago’s vibrant theatre scene.
Simply put, LORT is the national association for regional theatre companies. Administers professional contracts and serves as an information-sharing organization. Not geared for individuals, per se, but provides good institutional information and helps in understanding the theatre industry’s structure. The list of member theatres plugs you into the major regionals and can be a useful research resource.
A national trade organization for the Broadway industry (they do tour). There’s some good industry statistics here.
A non-profit dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and support for performing arts in the L.A. area. The site provides information on events, marketing services, and arts and culture census, awards, education, and research.
A non-profit foundation supporting off-Broadway. Grants, awards New York City theatre calendar, and information on the Lucille Lortel Theatre. Ms. Lortel was basically beyond awesome.
National Communication Association, Theatre Division
In their words: the National Communication Association advances communication as the discipline that studies all forms, modes, media and consequences of communication through humanistic, social scientific and aesthetic inquiry. In other words, it supports communications scholars, teachers, and practitioners. The site includes information on the group’s national convention and other events, a job board, teaching information, and other resources. If this is your bag, affiliated sites include: American Council of Learned Societies, the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the Council of Communication Associations, and the National Humanities Alliance.
You’ll find the NNPN listed in this site’s the Playwrights Resources section, but it should go without saying that new plays involve more than writers. This alliance of nonprofit theatres champions the development, production, and continued life of new plays. The site includes: a blog, news, the National New Play Map, a virtual script library, and information on the NNPN’s programs.
A non-profit Boston theater service organization, reaching over 6,000 households and businesses, and including individual theater artists (actors, directors, designers, playwrights, and other theater professionals), and 220 theater, film, casting, audio, video, service and theater support companies. Offers resources such as: a script library; information on space and facilities, health care, and playwrights; advocacy; and more.
A performing artists resource organization offering support programs serving individual artists. The site includes information on: residencies, workshops, its network (affiliated sites), a blog, and more.
A theatre service organization for the San Francisco Bay Area, covering more than 400 companies in nine counties. Material on the site includes: grants, research, essays, a talent bank, a directory of theatres, advocacy, education, and ticket sales. A very clear, well-organized, and cleanly designed site.
The national organization for the American theater, which seeks to: “strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre.” The home of American Theatre Magazine and many other publications, TCG fosters networking and resources for leadership development. It also provides grants and is a founding member of the Performing Arts Alliance It represents 500 theatres in 47 states. The site provides information on: publications, Artsreach (a job bank), special reports, TGC events (such as its national conference), an array of tools (e.g., surveys, theatre profiles), and details on its advocacy program. Some resources are available only to members (individual memberships are available).
Links youth in different countries through drama. The site provides information on projects, partners, news, and how to become involved.
An association of Ontario professional, community, and educational theatre organizations and artists, providing programs and services and resources to support theatre practitioners across the province.
Representing over 1,700 individuals and 140 member organizations, TPS seeks to promote, strengthen, and unify the performing arts community in Puget Sound (i.e., Washington state’s Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia metro area). The site serves as a regional voice on local and national issues affecting the community, and provides member events, forums, and other social connections.
An organization supporting and representing all sectors of the Washington D.C. theatre community: theatres, professionals, and audiences of all ages. The site includes: show listings, programs, news, and a blog. Represents a more than 80 professional theatres.
United States Institute of Theatre Technology
Provides networking for performing arts professionals and pre-professionals in design, production, and technology. The site includes: a job board, a library, industry news, an event calendar, and information on commissions, awards, and funding.
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