Impact Theatre is a small professional theatre company located in Berkeley, California, USA.
Impact Theatre was founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Josh Costello, Managing Director Phil Nutting, and Artistic Associates Christopher Morrison, Zay Amsbury, Melissa Hillman, Frank Wortham, and Jaron Hollander. Costello left the theatre in 2000 to pursue an MFA in directing, and is now the Artistic Director of Expanded Programs at Marin Theatre Company in Mill Valley, CA. Associate Artistic Director Melissa Hillman took the helm from Costello and is the current Artistic Director. Cheshire Isaacs is the current Managing Director.
Impact Theatre focuses on new plays by emerging playwrights, and, from its tiny basement theatre in Berkeley, has helped to launch the careers of many nationally recognized, award-winning playwrights, such as Sheila Callaghan (Scab, 2003; Crumble (Lay Me Down, Justin Timberlake), 2005), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Say You Love Satan, 2003), Peter Sinn Nachtrieb (Colorado, 2006), Steven Yockey (Cartoon! 2007; Sleepy, 2007), and Prince Gomolvilas (Jukebox Stories, 2006; Jukebox Stories: The Case of the Creamy Foam, 2008).
The company is also known for contemporary, fast-paced interpretations of classic plays. Its best-known classic was Othello, produced in 2005 and directed by Artistic Director Melissa Hillman. Othello was cast as a woman and the Othello-Desdemona pairing was portrayed as a lesbian relationship. Hillman was invited to Georgetown University to lecture on the production in late 2005.[1][2]
Since 1996, Impact Theatre has produced 18 full-length world premiere plays, along with 7 West Coast premieres and 5 Bay Area premieres. Impact has also produced dozens of world premiere short plays in its somewhat annual, long-running ten-minute play festival, Impact Briefs.