Arizona Theatre Company
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Theatre Company is a professional regional theatre company operating in both Tucson
and Phoenix, Arizona
. The company has been known as the official "State Theatre of Arizona" since 1978. It performs a season of six productions at two theatres—the only League of Resident Theatres
member to do so—at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson and the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.
ATC is also renowned for the quality of its productions' technical elements. The costume, scene and property shops, located in downtown Tucson, build virtually all the costumes, sets and props used in ATC productions. Each shop is also responsible for transferring its items from Tucson, and maintaining those items during the show's run in Phoenix. Behind the scenes, ATC is kept moving by a staff of box office, accounting, development, marketing, and management specialists located in both Tucson and Phoenix.
In the past 45 seasons, ATC has produced more than 280 plays, from the classics of Shakespeare, Shaw and Molière to the works of contemporary writers such as Shepard, Stoppard and Fugard. ATC has also committed itself to the development and presentation of new works both on the mainstage and through special programs. This wide-ranging repertoire presents an exciting challenge to all departments at ATC - a challenge that is consistently met through the high standards that have come to be expected of the company.
ATC is actively involved in numerous educational and community engagement programs in its various communities in an effort to increase public awareness of ATC and cultivate current and future audience interest and support.
Student programs include the Student Matinee Series, MySHAKESPEARE and Open Doors. MySHAKESPEARE is a multi-layered three-year community engagement project focusing on the words and performance of Shakespeare. The students participating in Open Doors attend professional productions, including theatre, ballet, opera and symphony. Following the performance, students meet with guests artists to discuss the production and its elements.
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. The company has been known as the official "State Theatre of Arizona" since 1978. It performs a season of six productions at two theatres—the only League of Resident Theatres
League of Resident Theatres
The League of Resident Theaters is the largest professional theater association of its kind in the United States, with 76 member Theaters located in every major market in the U.S., including 29 states and the District of Columbia...
member to do so—at the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson and the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix.
History
ATC was founded in 1966 as the Arizona Civic Theatre and performed in the basement -of the old Santa Rita Hotel in Tucson. Our ambitious first season, under the leadership of founding Artistic Director Sandy Rosenthal, included the then-new musical The Fantasticks, Sartre’s No Exit and Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge and set the standard for excellence and variety in programming which ATC has upheld for the last 39 years under artistic directors Rosenthal (1966–77), Mark Lamos (1978–79), Gary Gisselman (1980 – 91) and David Ira Goldstein (1992–present). In 1972, the company achieved full professional status and became a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). In 1978, we began producing a portion of the season in Phoenix. One year later, our name was changed to Arizona Theatre Company and we began producing all of our programming in both Phoenix and Tucson. In 1983, ATC received a Presidential Citation for our unique two city operation and in 1990 was designated the State Theatre of Arizona by Governor Rose Mofford.Today
ATC has developed an impressive national reputation and attracts some of the Nation's most respected and talented theatre professionals. Most visible are the actors who can be seen not only in ATC performances but also on television, in films, and on the stages of Broadway and other regional theaters.ATC is also renowned for the quality of its productions' technical elements. The costume, scene and property shops, located in downtown Tucson, build virtually all the costumes, sets and props used in ATC productions. Each shop is also responsible for transferring its items from Tucson, and maintaining those items during the show's run in Phoenix. Behind the scenes, ATC is kept moving by a staff of box office, accounting, development, marketing, and management specialists located in both Tucson and Phoenix.
In the past 45 seasons, ATC has produced more than 280 plays, from the classics of Shakespeare, Shaw and Molière to the works of contemporary writers such as Shepard, Stoppard and Fugard. ATC has also committed itself to the development and presentation of new works both on the mainstage and through special programs. This wide-ranging repertoire presents an exciting challenge to all departments at ATC - a challenge that is consistently met through the high standards that have come to be expected of the company.
ATC is actively involved in numerous educational and community engagement programs in its various communities in an effort to increase public awareness of ATC and cultivate current and future audience interest and support.
Learning & Community Engagement
Arizona Theatre Company offers both adult and student learning opportunities state-wide. Annually, ATC engages over 12,000 students with live professional theatre performances; serves Arizona classrooms with over 1400 hours of pre- and post-performance workshops; reaches over 100 Arizona schools in 8 counties; and offers more than 240 audience talkbacks and post-show discussions with creative artists.Student programs include the Student Matinee Series, MySHAKESPEARE and Open Doors. MySHAKESPEARE is a multi-layered three-year community engagement project focusing on the words and performance of Shakespeare. The students participating in Open Doors attend professional productions, including theatre, ballet, opera and symphony. Following the performance, students meet with guests artists to discuss the production and its elements.