A Hidden American Treasure: The Regional Theatres

So you want to be an actor, and you picture yourself in the footlights of some great stage, reciting the immortal words of Mamet, Ibsen, Miller, and the Bard. Chances are if this is your vision, you have it located in New York City, on the Great White Way. For many Americans, theatre exists only on Broadway or in little tiny churches that have been converted into community theatres where locals produce "Oklahoma!" every couple of years. There seems to be only the amateur and the big leagues.

What many have forgotten about are the Regional theatres that exist across the country. Indeed, this is probably because their numbers have declined over the past several decades, but they offer a professionalism and a unique approach to theatre that doesn't require a trip to the Big Apple to experience. Regional, nonprofit theatres employ professional actors, directors, and tech crews, produce new plays, showcase revivals, and offer a place for the avant-garde to exist. Generally speaking, a regional theatre will be comprised of 2 different stages: a main stage where larger productions are put on, and a studio or black box, where more experimental forms of theatre are explored.

Regional theatres are typically members of the League of Resident Theatres, or LOTR, which is a collection of nonprofit organizations that have a special contract with the Actors' Equity Association, which is the actors' and stage managers' labor union. Many Regional theatres also promote education in their communities, and cooperate with university theatre programs in their local areas. Regional theatres are an important part of the complex theatre puzzle.