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| LORT theatres | |
|---|---|
| Name | League of Resident Theatres |
| Abbreviation | LORT |
| Formation | 1966 |
| Type | Theatre association |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Leader title | President |
LORT theatres
LORT theatres are the major regional professional theatre organizations in the United States that coordinate standards, negotiate contracts, and represent a network of resident theatres. Founded in the mid-20th century, they shaped the careers of actors, directors, designers, and administrators across cities such as New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston, and San Francisco. LORT-affiliated companies have produced works by playwrights like Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, August Wilson, Lorraine Hansberry, and Tony Kushner while employing performers associated with institutions such as Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and Carnegie Mellon University.
The movement that led to LORT theatres grew alongside postwar institutions including Theatre Guild, Group Theatre (New York City), Federal Theatre Project, New Dramatists, and regional pioneers like Arena Stage and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Early catalysts included cultural policy debates in the era of the Kennedy administration and philanthropic trends exemplified by the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Important productions and tours connected to festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Spoleto Festival USA, and Tanglewood influenced repertory choices. Key figures in the expansion included administrators associated with Lincoln Center, Shubert Organization, Nederlander Organization, and educators from Columbia University, Northwestern University, and Brown University who trained artists who later worked in LORT houses.
LORT theatres operate as member institutions organized into categories and tiers similar to consortiums like the Edison Electric Institute model, with governance resembling nonprofit boards seen at MoMA and Smithsonian Institution affiliates. Member companies often hold 501(c)(3) status under laws shaped by debates in the United States Congress and regulatory oversight from the Internal Revenue Service. Administrative leadership typically includes an artistic director and executive director, roles analogous to those at Metropolitan Opera and New York Philharmonic, while programming staff interface with unions such as Actors' Equity Association, IATSE, and United Scenic Artists. Institutions maintain institutional partnerships with universities like University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, and conservatories like Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for training pipelines.
Collective bargaining for LORT theatres has been central to relations with Actors' Equity Association, reflecting disputes similar to those in professional associations such as Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Musicians, and Directors Guild of America. LORT contracts establish wage tiers, rehearsal conditions, and production staffing akin to agreements at Broadway houses and touring companies affiliated with Nederlander Organization. Negotiations have involved federal labor precedents and mediators like those used in cases before the National Labor Relations Board and legal counsel from firms that represent arts institutions including Covington & Burling and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
Member theatres span a wide geographic and institutional range: major companies such as American Conservatory Theater, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, La Jolla Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, Arena Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Huntington Theatre Company, Portland Center Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Dallas Theater Center, Baltimore Center Stage, Hartford Stage, McCarter Theatre Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Old Globe Theatre, Geva Theatre Center, Olney Theatre Center, Northlight Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Center Theatre Group, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Actors' Equity's resident theatres, Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Peninsula Players, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Taper Forum, Victory Gardens Theater, Bush Theatre, First Stage and others. Many of these institutions collaborate with regional festivals such as Spoleto Festival, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz.
Funding models for LORT theatres draw on philanthropy and earned revenue similar to cultural institutions like Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and The Getty. Major donors have included family foundations linked to Ford Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, and corporate sponsors resembling Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Target Corporation partnerships. Public support has come through agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts and state arts councils such as the New York State Council on the Arts, California Arts Council, and Massachusetts Cultural Council. Economic impact studies mirror analyses done for Broadway League reports and municipal cultural plans in cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and San Diego, documenting job creation, tourism revenues, and regional revitalization.
Programming at member theatres ranges from classics by William Shakespeare, Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, and Molière to contemporary works by Edward Albee, Susan Lori-Parks, Tracy Letts, David Mamet, Nilo Cruz, Sarah Ruhl, and Suzan-Lori Parks. Many LORT houses incubate new plays later produced on Broadway or at the National Theatre and partner with festivals such as Humana Festival of New American Plays and institutions like Roundabout Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Lincoln Center Theater. Co-productions and transfers have involved producers like Scott Rudin, Kenny Leon, Daryl Roth, and venues including Public Theater and Donmar Warehouse.
Critiques of LORT theatres echo debates in arts sectors involving representation and labor seen in controversies at institutions like Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum, and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Critics have raised issues over repertory diversity related to playwrights August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry, pay equity disputes comparable to Hollywood strikes, and accusations about executive compensation similar to debates at National Public Radio and university arts centers. Funding controversies have involved donor influence reminiscent of disputes at Yale University and allegations of cultural gatekeeping comparable to critiques leveled at Juilliard School and some regional festivals. Labor actions and negotiations with unions such as Actors' Equity Association and IATSE have occasionally resulted in strikes or public campaigns paralleling actions in the film industry and television sector.
Category:Theatre in the United States