Cornerstone Theater Company

Cornerstone Theater Company
Name	Cornerstone Theater Company
Formed	1986
Location	Los Angeles, California
Genre	Ensemble theater, community-based theater, devised theater
Artistic director	(see Leadership and Company Members)
Website	(company website)

Cornerstone Theater Company is an ensemble-based theatre organization founded in Los Angeles in 1986 that creates collaborative productions with diverse communities. The company is known for site-specific productions, devised processes, and interweaving of narrative, music, and oral history. Cornerstone has worked with community partners across Southern California and nationally, engaging civic institutions, cultural organizations, and academic programs.

History

Cornerstone emerged in 1986 from an arts scene connected to Los Angeles venues and California Institute of the Arts alumni, coinciding with broader developments in community arts and ensemble practice in the late 20th century. Early collaborations tied the company to neighborhoods in South Los Angeles, Echo Park, and East Los Angeles, as well as to festivals such as the Los Angeles Festival and intercultural events at institutions like the Getty Center and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Throughout the 1990s the company expanded partnerships with municipal bodies including the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and nonprofit service providers such as InnerCity Arts and United Way. In the 2000s and 2010s Cornerstone toured projects through networks including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ford Foundation, and statewide arts councils like the California Arts Council, while collaborating with universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, and California State University, Northridge. The company’s timeline intersects with movements led by figures associated with Theatre Communications Group, Tectonic Theater Project, Artists Repertory Theatre, and civic arts alliances tied to the NEA’s Our Town program.

Mission and Artistic Model

Cornerstone’s mission centers on ensemble-based creation, civic collaboration, and development of scripts from community stories, aligning with practices promoted by organizations such as National Performance Network, Creative Capital, and the MacArthur Foundation. The artistic model combines devised techniques drawn from ensembles like Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Complicité, and Bread and Puppet Theater while employing documentary methods used by The Civilians, SITI Company, and FringeArts. Cornerstone engages community members, local leaders, and service agencies—partners have included Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and cultural institutions like the Japanese American National Museum—to co-create works that address urban change, immigration, public health, and cultural memory. Training residencies and curricula developed with higher-education partners echo pedagogies from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Juilliard School, and ensemble workshops influenced by leaders associated with Ellen Stewart and Joseph Chaikin.

Productions and Notable Works

Productions have ranged from neighborhood-specific pieces to touring shows that intersect with topics hosted by Smithsonian Institution programs, Getty Research Institute initiatives, and civic celebrations such as Civic Center events. Notable projects include community scripts that engage with immigration narratives similar in focus to works commissioned by Public Theater and investigative performances in the lineage of Anna Deavere Smith. Collaborations with musicians, poets, and visual artists have linked Cornerstone to artists affiliated with Los Angeles Philharmonic, L.A. Opera, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Hammer Museum exhibitions. Specific staged projects have been presented at venues like Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and alternative sites associated with Highways Performance Space and The Broad Stage. The company has produced bilingual and intercultural works akin to repertory efforts by El Centro Theatre and community collaborations reminiscent of TE`ATRO CAMPESINO and Cabrillo Festival commissions.

Community Engagement and Education

Cornerstone’s engagement strategies involve youth programs, participatory workshops, and partnership residencies with schools and social service organizations—models echoing initiatives by Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and arts-education programs at Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Educational outreach has included curriculum development with Los Angeles Unified School District, artist-in-residence projects at campuses like California State University, Long Beach and community colleges such as Los Angeles City College, and training exchanges with ensembles connected to New York University and Brown University. The company’s public history work has collaborated with archives and museums including UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, USC Libraries, and community archives like those of the Mexican American Cultural Center.

Leadership and Company Members

Leadership and ensemble structures have involved artistic directors, associate artists, and administrative directors with sector connections to Theatre Communications Group, Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights, and national residency networks. Collaborators and guest artists have included playwrights, directors, musicians, and visual artists who maintain affiliations with institutions such as Actors’ Equity Association, Dramatists Guild of America, American Conservatory Theater, LAStage Alliance, and educational institutions like California Institute of the Arts and UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. Partnerships with community leaders, policy advocates, and funders have linked the company to philanthropic bodies including Annenberg Foundation, Graham Foundation, and regional arts councils.

Awards and Recognition

The company’s work has been recognized by awards and honors from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, and national service programs like AmeriCorps partnerships. Grants and fellowships have come through foundations like the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and foundations supporting cultural equity including the James Irvine Foundation. Presentations and citations have been noted in programs and festivals associated with The Public Theater, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and statewide showcases connected to the California Arts Council.

Category:Theatre companies in Los Angeles