WHAT THEATRE CAN BECOME
Theatre Unchained started as a passion project. A way to produce the work I wanted to see in a city I didn’t yet know. Then something amazing happened, this city opened its arms and heart to me and now I want to give back. I think many theatres fall into one of two traps:
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They want to put butts in seats so badly that they default to classic but over-done ‘vanilla’ stories that, while they have their place, don’t live long in the hearts and minds of the people who see them.
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They are so passionate about their work they become ‘self-performers’ and cater to themselves rather than the needs of the communities in which they perform.
We want to be the middle. We want the quality, elevation, and intensity of the professional theatres, but the accessibility, heart, and connection that community theatre offers. We want to prove that you can do both and break free from the limitations we put on ourselves and our audiences.
- Founder & Artistic Director, Megan Ann Jacobs
MISSION
We are the catalyst for a thousand tales, blazing a path for stories people want to see with the messages our communities need to hear.
VISION
To create a space where:
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Seeing a show is as natural, affordable, and accessible as seeing a movie.
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Recruited talent is treated with respect, shown appreciation, and provided transparency of compensation, empowering them in future pursuits.
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Thought-provoking performances ignite impactful conversations and lasting change.
WHO WE ARE
We are dedicated to breaking free of the classic boundaries between community and professional theatres. We strive to unite the inclusivity, heart, and affordability of community theatre and the boldness, innovation, and quality of professional productions. Our goal is to become a culture of our own, prioritizing the communities in which we perform, the talent that brings the work to life, and the conversations our work ignites.
By partnering with, instead of working against, other theatres, we engage in a strong creative front to strengthen ourselves and those around us. To this end, we collaborate with other like-minded artists, organizations, and theatres to create a variety of compelling performances. We want our audiences to be on their toes in terms of content, themes, and genres, but never doubt the quality of a performance.
We actively seek stories that challenge our ways of thinking, elevate our understanding of the human condition, and elicit passionate reactions. While these themes exist in stories across the past and present, we also have a responsibility to the future. Therefore, we firmly believe in nurturing new stories and blazing trails to production opportunities. Art comes in all colors, shapes, and sizes and we believe our seasons should reflect that.
By unraveling tough questions, examining the answers we find, and valuing the beliefs and perspectives of those around us, we break free from the stifling definitions of what theatre has been and focus instead on what theatre can become.