TheaterWorks - Hartford's Off-Broadway

About TheaterWorks

Facts, Figures, Philosophy
Leadership
Outreach
Education
Accessibility

Facts, Figures, Philosophy
TheaterWorks is a non-profit professional theater company housed in the historic Art Deco Building on Pearl Street in the heart of downtown Hartford. Founded in 1985 by its Artistic and Executive Director, Steve Campo, TheaterWorks is dedicated to a single compelling mission: to produce the most engaging, entertaining, and relevant theater possible.

Over the course of its history, TheaterWorks has staged more than 100 major plays and currently presents close to 250 performances each season. The company has nearly 6,000 subscribers, almost 40,000 individual annual attendances, and an operating budget of just under $2 million.

TheaterWorks further extends its artistic mission through its Education and Outreach Program, which provides free tickets to thousands of students, as well as nearly 100 different non-profit community organizations.

In addition to its artistic activities, the company owns, free-and-clear, the landmark 1927 Art Deco Building at 233 Pearl Street in downtown Hartford, valued at over $2,000,000. Besides housing TheaterWorks, this historic property provides a permanent home for an entire family of small non-profit arts organizations.

But beyond facts and figures, TheaterWorks’ maverick operating style itself embodies fundamental philosophies and values.

TheaterWorks' accomplishments have been realized without consultants, telemarketers, development experts, lavish parties, elaborate recognition schemes, or fancy brochures. The company has never borrowed or used a line of credit. During business hours our phones are answered by people, not voice menus. And TheaterWorks operates with the lowest ratio of administrative expenses-to-overall budget of all major arts organizations in the region.

And - almost unbelievably - TheaterWorks currently derives 79% of its income from ticket sales and other earned sources - the highest percentage of any major non-profit theater in the nation.

Vision, accomplishment, community service, stability, core values, and institutional efficiency. Together these essential ingredients have helped TheaterWorks gain broad recognition as one of the most important and vital members of a new generation of American theaters companies.

Leadership
TheaterWorks has the longest tenured Artistic and Executive Director, Steve Campo, and Associate Artistic Director, Rob Ruggiero, of all major arts organizations in the State of Connecticut.

Steve Campo Steve Campo (Executive Director) founded TheaterWorks in 1985 and serves as its Executive and Artistic Director. He has guided the company's business and artistic functions since its inception, and is currently the longest tenured artistic director of all major professional performing arts organizations in the region. A native of Hartford, Steve founded TheaterWorks specifically to provide a regional voice for a new breed of contemporary playwrights, anchored in a truthful theatrical style.
He has directed over two dozen of TheaterWorks' productions including such critical and popular successes as Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, A
Number by Caryl Churchill, Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass, Woman Before a Glass by Lanie Robertson, The Retreat from Moscow by William Nicholson, Rounding Third by Richard Dresser, Ten Unknowns by Jon Robin Baitz, Proof by David Auburn, Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman, Fully Committed by Becky Mode, Master Class by Terrence McNally, Eleemosynary by Lee Blessing, Paul Robeson by Phillip Hayes Dean, Uncle Bob by Austin Pendleton, K2 by Patrick Meyers, and the world premiere production of Last Lists of My Mad Mother by Julie Jensen.

Rob Ruggiero(Associate Artistic Director) has been a key partner in TheaterWorks' artistic leadership since 1992. He has directed dozens of productions here including the recent Driving Miss Daisy and the highly successful Ella, which he both conceived and developed at TheaterWorks. Ella has been or will be seen at many regional theater stages around the country from 2006-2008 including Arizona Theatre Company, The Cleveland Playhouse , Florida Stage, Asolo Repertory Theater, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Dallas Theater Center and the Northlight Theater in Chicago. Last year Rob also conceived and developed a musical review based on the work of William Finn (Falsettos/25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) entitled Make Me A Song, which received its New York Premiere Off-Broadway at New World Stages. This production won him his second Connecticut Critics Circle Award, this time for Best Director of a Musical. He is also the recipient of two Kevin Kline Awards, for Best Director of a Musical (Urinetown) and Best Director of a Play (Take Me Out). Rob made his Goodspeed Musicals directing debut with 1776 and will direct Big River for the company in 2008. An online portfolio of his work can be viewed atwww.robruggiero.com.

Outreach
By strongly incorporating accessibility and affordability into its audience building efforts, TheaterWorks has effectively reached populations that historically have remained peripheral to theater in the Metro Hartford region. The company has consistently maintained moderate ticket pricing. And TheaterWorks further extends accessibility by providing free tickets to over 100 non-profit community agencies (more than 3,000 tickets during most recent seasons). These organizations receive donations of tickets from TheaterWorks for direct distribution to their constituencies. In addition, TheaterWorks has partnered with many community agencies in order to fully involve joint constituencies.

Education
TheaterWorks has consistently provided students throughout the region with opportunities to experience live theater. Students enrich the diversity of TheaterWorks’ current audience and establish the foundation of long term audience development. TheaterWorks offers free and / or discounted tickets to students throughout the season. During a typical season, over 3,500 students attend TheaterWorks’ performances. In addition, TheaterWorks provides internships for high school and college students who, through this program, receive academic credit, Equity points, and invaluable experience.

Accessibility
TheaterWorks counts hundreds of individuals with special needs among its audience base. When the company undertook a complete renovation of the performance area of its facility in 1999, TheaterWorks went above and beyond many accessibility requirements in order to provide all audience members with the safest, most accessible and comfortable environment possible. Notwithstanding the challenges one might expect with a building that dates from 1927, TheaterWorks has an outstanding record of handling special needs, founded on the dedication of its staff to personal, individual service. All those on TheaterWorks’ staff who deal with audience members undergo comprehensive training, the foundation of which is the handling of special needs with sensitivity and respect. Since many individuals with special needs present unique profiles, it is the highly individual attention brought to each situation by TheaterWorks’ staff that has served to cultivate the company’s exceptionally personal and positive relationship with these audience members.