The Wooster Group
 The Performing Garage in 2014 | |
| Lua error in Module:Infobox_mapframe at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Formation | 1975 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Location |
|
Artistic director | Elizabeth LeCompte |
| Website | thewoostergroup |
The Wooster Group is an experimental theater company based in New York City known for creating numerous original dramatic works. It gradually emerged from Richard Schechner's The Performance Group (1967–1980) during the period from 1975 to 1980. The group took its name in 1980; the independent productions of 1975–1980 are retroactively attributed to the group.[1]
The ensemble is directed by Elizabeth LeCompte and it launched the careers of many actors including founding member Willem Dafoe. The group's home is the Performing Garage at 33 Wooster Street between Grand and Broome Streets in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. As of 2014, the company consists of 16 members. In addition, there are 29 "Associates".[2]
The Wooster Group is a not-for-profit theater company that relies on grants and donations from supporters. It has received multiple grants from the Carnegie Corporation. The group is characterized by its extremely experimental style, often incorporating aspects of audiovisual such as interactive video art, live stream, recorded sound, and pre-recorded video into their performance work. Their performances are often of classic texts like Brecht, Shakespeare, Chekhov, and Eugene O'Neill.[3]
Past collaborators with the group include Ken Kobland, Jim Strahs, Richard Foreman, Trisha Brown, John Lurie, Bruce Odland, Jennifer Tipton, Frances McDormand, Hans Peter Kuhn, and Amir ElSaffar among others.[4]
Founding members
[edit | edit source]Source:[5]
- Elizabeth LeCompte
- Jim Clayburgh
- Kate Valk
- Peyton Smith
- Ron Vawter (d. 1994)[2]
- Spalding Gray (d. 2004)
- Willem Dafoe
Current company
[edit | edit source]Source:[5]
- Andrew Maillet
- Alexandre Artaud
- Ari Fliakos
- Aaron Amodt
- Clay Hapaz
- Cynthia Hedstrom
- Elizabeth LeCompte
- Eric Sluyter
- Jonathan Hull
- Kate Valk
- Michaela Murphy
- Matthias Neckermann
- Mike Farry
- Monika Wunderer
- Scott Shepherd
- Tavish Miller
- Yudam Hyung Seok Jeon
Awards and honors
[edit | edit source]The Wooster Group has won nine Obie Awards, six Bessie Awards, and the 1985 National Endowment for the Arts Ongoing Ensembles Grant.[4]
Further reading
[edit | edit source]- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Quick, Andrew. The Wooster Group Workbook, London: Routledge, 2007. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Savran, David. Breaking the Rules: The Wooster Group. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1990. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
References
[edit | edit source]Lua error in mw.title.lua at line 392: bad argument #2 to 'title.new' (unrecognized namespace name 'Portal').
- ^ Wooster Group, "Production History since 1975".
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b "History:Selected Awards" on the Wooster Group website
- ^ a b "About the Company:Founding and Original Members" on the Wooster Group website
External links
[edit | edit source]
Lua error in Module:Authority_control at line 153: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).