Cornerstone Theatre Company

Cornerstone Theatre Company
Name	Cornerstone Theatre Company
Founded	1986
Location	Los Angeles, California, United States
Artistic director	Deborah Lawlor (Artistic Director and Founding Member)
Genre	Community-based theatre, ensemble theatre, devised theatre

Cornerstone Theatre Company

Cornerstone Theatre Company is a Los Angeles–based ensemble known for producing devised, community-based performances that collaborate with local communities, civic institutions, cultural organizations, and artists. Founded by a group of theatre artists and producers in the mid-1980s, the company integrates professional theatre practices with participatory engagement across Southern California and nationally, often intersecting with festivals, museums, universities, and municipal initiatives. Its work frequently involves partnerships with municipal agencies, cultural centers, philanthropic foundations, and interdisciplinary artists to create site-specific and touring projects.

History

Cornerstone emerged in Los Angeles during a period when ensemble companies and alternative theatres such as Tennessee Williams Center (note: example), Geffen Playhouse, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles Theatre Center, and Center Theatre Group were expanding theatrical practice in urban settings. Founding artists drew inspiration from community-based artists and companies including Wesleyan University-affiliated collectives, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Public Theater, Bread and Puppet Theater, and practitioners influenced by Augusto Boal and Jerzy Grotowski. Early projects established collaborations with neighborhood organizations, local schools, immigrant communities, and arts councils such as the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, enabling tours to venues like community centers, parks, and nontraditional stages near Los Angeles County neighborhoods. Over subsequent decades Cornerstone partnered with institutions including University of California, Los Angeles, University of Southern California, CalArts, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and civic bodies in projects that addressed public health, immigration, and civic engagement.

Mission and Community Arts Model

Cornerstone’s mission centers on producing devised performances through a community-based model that fuses professional ensemble practice with participatory creation. The company’s approach reflects methodologies associated with Forum Theatre, Applied Theatre, Devised Theatre, and community arts movements exemplified by organizations such as Mixed Blood Theatre, Pregones/PRTT, and Asian American Theater Company. Artists work alongside community partners—nonprofits, grassroots groups, faith institutions, and municipal agencies—to co-create scripts, music, and visual elements, often incorporating oral histories, archival research, and local storytelling. Funding and commissioning networks include private foundations (e.g., Ford Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation), arts commissions, and cultural trusts, which support residencies, research, and touring. The company’s model emphasizes civic dialogue, cultural equity, and cross-sector collaboration with universities, public health departments like Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and arts education programs.

Notable Productions and Projects

Cornerstone’s repertoire comprises site-specific productions, longform community commissions, and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Notable projects have included civic-oriented productions addressing immigration, disaster preparedness, and public health in partnership with organizations such as UNICEF USA, Catholic Charities USA, The California Endowment, and municipal emergency management offices. The company has produced adaptations and original works that intersect with major cultural events and institutions, collaborating with orchestras like the Los Angeles Philharmonic and museums such as the Getty Center and Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Touring projects have reached festivals including Gloucester Folk Festival (example), Tucson Meet Yourself, and regional arts festivals supported by the National Performance Network. Productions often feature collaborations with playwrights, composers, and directors affiliated with Steppenwolf Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Lincoln Center Theater, South Coast Repertory, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Educational and Outreach Programs

Educational initiatives led by the company include youth residencies, school partnerships, and training programs for emerging artists and community leaders. These programs align with curricula developed in collaboration with universities such as UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, USC Thornton School of Music, and arts education organizations like Young Audiences Arts for Learning and Teaching Artist Guild. Outreach has involved literacy programs, intergenerational workshops with retirement communities, and public forums on topics coordinated with civic partners like Los Angeles City Council offices and local school districts. The company also runs artist development workshops that reflect pedagogical traditions traceable to Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and ensemble training approaches from Jacques Lecoq-influenced conservatories.

Organization and Leadership

Cornerstone operates as a nonprofit arts organization structured with an ensemble of artists, administrative staff, and a board of directors drawn from cultural institutions, philanthropy, and civic life. Leadership historically combines artistic directors, managing directors, producing directors, and community liaisons who have worked with institutions including KCRW, LA Stage Alliance, Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, and grantmakers such as National Endowment for the Arts panels. The company’s governance model emphasizes sustained community partnerships, collaborative decision-making, and fiscal stewardship via grants, earned income from ticketed events and tours, and corporate sponsorships from regional supporters.

Awards and Recognition

Cornerstone’s work has received awards and recognition from arts organizations, foundations, and civic bodies, including grants and commendations from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, and local cultural affairs commissions. Individual productions and artists associated with the company have garnered honors from critics’ circles, regional theatre awards, and cultural heritage organizations such as Americans for the Arts and local arts councils. The company’s community-engaged projects have been cited in academic studies and policy reports by institutions like UCLA, USC Price School of Public Policy, and national arts networks for contributions to participatory arts practice.

Category:Theatre companies in Los Angeles