Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as a New York State non-profit theater company with the mission of producing new plays and fostering the artistic development of emerging and established playwrights.
In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years on West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theaters.
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Now entering its 26th season, Primary Stages has given life to more than 90 new plays, many of them world premieres, by writers such as Horton Foote, A.R. Gurney, Willy Holtzman, Julia Jordan, Romulus Linney, Donald Margulies, Christopher Durang, Terrence McNally, John Henry Redwood, John Patrick Shanley, Mac Wellman, Lee Blessing, and David Ives.
Primary Stages 9th season included the world premiere of All in the Timing by David Ives, the most produced play in the United States during the 1995/1996 season.[1]
"Secrets of the Trade", a New York Premiere by Jonathen Tolins, "In Transit", a World Premiere Musical by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth, and "Black Tie", a World Premiere by A.R. Gurney.[2]
Olive and the Bitter Herbs, by Charles Busch; In Mother Words, Conceived by Susan Rose and Joan Stein and written by Leslie Ayvazian, David Cale, Jessica Goldberg, Beth Henley, Lameece Issaq, Lisa Loomer, Michele Lowe, Marco Pennette, Lisa Ramirez, Theresa Rebeck, Luanne Rice, Annie Weisman and Cheryl L. West; Rx, by Kate Fodor; and The Morini Strad by Willy Holtzman[3]
Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group[4]
Primary Stages is host to the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, which brings together six to eight emerging playwrights each season to create new plays for the American theater. Under the direction of Primary Stages Associate Artistic Director Michelle Bossy, these playwrights attend weekly meetings in the fall and spring, where they bring new pages to each session and receive feedback on their works in progress. At the end of the season, Primary Stages presents the first public reading of these plays in The Dorothy Strelsin Fresh Ink Readings Series.
Since its inception, over 45 full-length plays have been written in the Group, many of which have been produced by prominent local and national theaters including Long Wharf Theatre, Blue Light, South Coast Repertory, The New Group, New York Stage and Film, Cherry Lane Theatre, and of course, Primary Stages.
Current members: Bekah Brunstetter, David Caudle, Cheri Magid, Rogelio Martínez, Janine Nabers, Tommy Smith, and Adam Szymkowicz
Past members: David Lindsay Abaire, Tanya Barfield, Courtney Baron, Neena Beber, Alex Beech, Brooke Berman, Darren Canady, Andrew Case, Cusi Cram, Janis Astor del Valle, Bruce Faulk, Josh Fox, Jessica Goldberg, Daniel Goldfarb, Rinne Groff, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Katori Hall, Jerome Hairston, Rolin Jones, Julia Jordan, Dan O’Brien, Edwin Sanchez, Julian Sheppard, Lucy Thurber, Sheri Wilner
Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA)[5]
The Primary Stages Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA)],[6] formerly the Primary Stages School of Theater, is an interdisciplinary institution where students may hone their skills and develop their careers in a nurturing and collaborative environment. Having house over one-thousand students, the School provides extensive opportunities for emerging artists, professionals, and life-long learners to collaborate with working professional artists while building strong relationships within the New York theater community.
ESPA offers a series of intensive classes in acting, playwriting, and directing taught by industry professionals that include PS Staff members Casey Childs (Founder and Executive Producer of Primary Stages), Andrew Leynse (Artistic Director), Michelle Bossy (Associate Artistic Director), along with David Laundra and Linda Laundra, Tanya Barfield, Cusi Cram, Stephanie Klapper, Blair Singer, Rogelio Martínez, Edwin Sanchez, Lucy Thurber and Morgan Jenness. Previous faculty members include Julia Jordan, Brooke Berman, Sarah Ruhl, Constance Congdon, BH Barry, and Kim Wield. The school is run by Tessa LaNeve.
Acting students work closely with playwriting students to help create and foster new American plays. Learning how to work on a play in development is a key component to becoming a successful actor. A balance of studying pieces by emerging writers and collaborating on works-in-progress allows actors to hone their skills while keeping them on their toes. Acting classes have included: Television Acting, Advanced Scene Study, Auditioning Techniques, The Monologue, On-Camera Auditioning and Solo Performance.
Core playwriting classes provide students with the tools necessary to complete a first draft through writing exercises, workshopped readings and insight from working playwrights. Small classes of 6-8 offer an intimate setting and the opportunity to have new work read aloud each week. Classes are for all skill levels, from first time writers to those who have hit a road block with their current piece. Playwriting classes have included: Face the Blank Page and Write, The Rewrite, Comedy Writing, Adaptation, Experimental Theater and Television Writing.
With classes designed for directors and non-directors alike, the directing department offers a series of programs throughout the year to build your confidence behind the table and expand your way of thinking about performance. Classes include Collaborations, Workshops, as well as concentrations in Film and Stage directing.
ESPA is now providing an artistic home to over four-hundred emerging artists.
Over the years, the company has received considerable critical acclaim and numerous theater and literary awards and nominations, including Obie, AUDELCO, Outer Critics Circle, Lucille Lortel, Drama League and Drama Desk Awards. The Fourth Wall, All in the Timing, The Old Settler, Missing/Kissing, The Model Apartment, Scotland Road, You Should Be So Lucky, The Stendhal Syndrome, Sabina, Dividing the Estate and In The Continuum are among the many plays brought to national attention by Primary Stages.
In 2009, Primary Stages received its first Tony Nomination for Dividing the Estate by Horton Foote.[7]
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