THE THEATER OFFENSIVE'S MISSION:
To form and present the diverse realities of queer lives in art so bold it breaks through personal isolation and political orthodoxy to help build an honest, progressive community.
Our Philosophy
Our History
Honors and Awards
Our Supporters
The National Performance Network
Staff
Board of Directors
Our Offices
Direct Contacts
CONTACTS:
For a complete list of our staff and Board members, or to find out how to contact us, click here.
THE THEATER OFFENSIVE'S PHILOSOPHY
Guided by our mission, The Theater Offensive has driven our ambitious programming to the cutting edge of queer culture and politics for over sixteen years. Grounded in our commitment to build an activist-based artistic forum, our groundbreaking programming has become a vital arena for the unique voices of diverse queer cultures, and has led to lasting coalitions between the varied communities under the queer umbrella.
We accomplish this work through meaningful ongoing relationships with a range of arts and organizing initiatives locally and throughout the country, and by using any and all cultural tools to make a difference in the minds, hearts, and libidos of the queer and straight communities.
It is a commitment to debunking assumptions both from inside and outside the queer communities that directs all Theater Offensive work. Our work provokes vibrant discussion about the realities of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered. Through social gatherings, soirees, workshops, and post-show discussions, the organization transcends traditional theater boundaries and opens new avenues of understanding, awareness and inclusion within queer communities as well as outside them. At the basis of all of our work is a commitment to presenting honest and accurate artistic images of queer lives from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
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HISTORY OF THE THEATER OFFENSIVE
In 1989, founding Artistic Director Abe Rybeck and a group of artist/activists formed The Theater Offensive to expand on the success of the gay men's guerrilla theater troupe, United Fruit Company. The Theater Offensive mounts and produces festivals and individual productions by national and local queer performers, and also serves as a development environment for new theatrical work. In addition, The Theater Offensive works to build community through education, outreach, and political activism.
Several successful early productions featured Abe's work as a performer, playwright and songwriter, including full-scale musicals, solo works, short pieces, and the queer cabaret band Adult Children of Heterosexuals. Blame It On The Big Banana, Dirt, and Pure PolyESTHER are Abe's original works of musical theater, workshopped and produced in several iterations.
The Theater Offensive presented its first Out on the Edge Festival of Queer Theater in 1992. Held annually in the fall, OOTE is considered to be among the world's premier queer theater series. Among the cutting-edge theater artists that have appeared at the Festival are Quentin Crisp, Tim Miller, The Five Lesbian Brothers, Luis Alfaro, Holly Hughes, Pomo Afro Homos, Alec Mapa, Split Britches, Jackie Hoffman, BLOOLIPS, Varla Jean Merman, and Marga Gomez, among many others. The Theater Offensive is known worldwide for featuring the best artists from under-represented queer communities, so the Festival gives audiences a unique opportunity to see performances by artists of color, the differently-abled, and transgendered artists.
The Theater Offensive began adding various outreach and educational programs in the mid-1990s. The True Colors OUT Youth Theater troupe (formerly Teen Theater Works) generates original productions written and performed by its young actors. Plays at Work develops and presents new, local theatrical productions in staged readings and workshops. A Street Theater Named Desire, a guerilla AIDS activist theater troupe, enters gay cruising grounds and presents performances that promote safe sex and AIDS education.
Information on past performances is contained in The Theater Offensive's archive:
Surviving the NIan
Out On The Edge 2006
My Price Point starring Mike Albo April 2005
Last Rites articles and photos 2004
ClimActs 2004 articles and photos
Bel Canto 2003
Hamartia Blues 2002
2003 Fundraising Event: ClimACTS! Photos by Joey Libby and Liz Hickock.
Sistah Insiders All images by ADK Photo.
Our entire history is archived at the Northeastern University Library. Check out the online collection at: http://www.lib.neu.edu/archives/collect/findaids/m82find.htm
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HONORS AND AWARDS
2007 Jonathan Larson Musical Theatre Award
The Theater Offensive has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including:
IN Newsweekly "Artist of the Year" 2006
Improper Bostonian "Best Fringe Theater"
Massachusetts Cultural Council Gold Star
Gay Fathers of Greater Boston Youth Service Award, 2001
MIT Theater Arts Playwright in Residence and Visiting Lecturer 2001-2002
James Dawson Community Service Award, 2000
Elliot Norton Boston Theater Award - Special Citation, 1999
Boston Women's Fund Take a Stand Award, 1999
AIDS Action Committee Unsung Heroes Award, 1999
Greater Boston Business Council Award for Individual Excellence, 1999
City of Cambridge Peace & Justice Award, 1997
City of Cambridge Lavender Alliance Award, 1997
Boston Center for the Arts, Artist in Residence 1993-present
Bessie Smith Creative Leadership Award, Boston Lesbian & Gay Political Alliance, 1989
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OUR SUPPORTERS
The Theater Offensive's work would not be possible if it were not for the amazing support of our audience, our community and our funders. We'd especially like to thank all of our Repeat Offenders, donors, and the following funders:
Association of Performing Arts Presenters
The Boston Foundation
Cambridge Savings Bank Charitable Foundation
Common Stream Inc.
Cloud Foundation
Hunt Alternatives Fund
The Ian Thom Foundation
Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation
LEF Foundation
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Massachusetts Cultural Council YouthReach
New England Foundation for the Arts
Social Innovation Forum
Starbucks Foundation
Theater Communications Group
Wallace Foundation
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THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK
The Theater Offensive is a member of the National Performance Network comprised of arts organizations located throughout the United States. NPN has provided an unprecedented vision and support for the independent artist community. Funding from NPN is critical to the successful creation and production of work, and the very basis of NPN's mission - to facilitate partnerships - means that each dollar that NPN invests has an exponential impact. By the end of its 17th season, NPN will have subsidized over 900 residencies by more than 400 artists and companies based in 35 states, generating almost $10.3 million in artist residency fees and community cultural development funds. More than 425,000 audience members have attended NPN-sponsored performances and over 285,000 people have participated in NPN residency activities.
NPN has nurtured a generation of imaginative, progressive leadership - artists and presenters - who are committed to sustaining ongoing, pragmatic relationships that place cultural identity at the center of a community's daily life. By serving as a forum for peer-to-peer communication among artists and leaders in the performing arts, NPN plays a vital role in developing, shaping and disseminating cultural policy.
NPN and the presentations of The Theater Offensive have been made possible with major funding from The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency).
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CONTACT US
The Theater Offensive Staff
Abe Rybeck, Artistic Director
Eve Alpern, Producing Director
Evelyn Francis, Director of Education
Eugene Tan, Coordinator of Community Programs & Outreach
Emily Kuhlman, Development Director
Joanne Barrett, Publicist
Janet Bailey, Marketing Consultant
Nicki Crogan, Development and Grants Coordinator
The Theater Offensive Board of Directors
Cuong Hoang
Rebecca Johnson
William Kelly
Geeta Patel
Jodie Siegel
Vengerflutta Smith
Main Office:
(mailing address)
The Theater Offensive
43 Thorndike Street #14
Cambridge, MA 02141-1762
617 621-6090
Located inside the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, the corner of Second St & Thorndike Street. The entrance is at 41 Second St. Look for the arts center's big blue vertical banner! Enter on the ground floor and walk through the kitchen into the hallway. Take the stairs on your right all the way up.
Directions to our main office are located here.
TTO's Production Office:
The Theater Offensive
551 Tremont Street #408
Boston, MA 02116-6306
Located at the Boston Center for the Arts
Maps and Directions: Available here.
Direct contacts:
General information: Info@thetheateroffensive.org
Intern/Volunteer opportunities: JoinUs@thetheateroffensive.org
True Colors Out Youth Theater: Truecolors@thetheateroffensive.org
DAGGER: dykes with a cutting edge: Dagger@thetheateroffensive.org
A Street Theater Named Desire: Projectdesire@thetheateroffensive.org
To contact our Webmaster: Web@thetheateroffensive.org
To join our mailing list or send us a message directly please provide us with the following information:
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