Nonsense Theatre Company
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| Nonsense Theatre Company | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nonsense Theatre Company |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Miranda Hale; Jonah Krell |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois |
| Genre | Physical theatre; Absurdist drama; Site-specific performance |
Nonsense Theatre Company
Nonsense Theatre Company is an ensemble-based theatre group known for avant-garde productions that fuse physical comedy, absurdist narrative, and immersive staging. Founded in 2010 by practitioners trained in clowning, commedia dell'arte, and contemporary dance, the company has staged works across the United States and Europe, performing in festivals, black box venues, and unconventional spaces. Its collaborations and touring history intersect with prominent artists and institutions in experimental performance, puppetry, and devised theatre.
History
Nonsense Theatre Company was established in the aftermath of residencies at institutions such as Theatre de la Ville, Guthrie Theater, and Teatr Powszechny by co-founders who met during workshops led by faculty from Jacques Lecoq School, École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, and Clown Conservatory San Francisco. Early tours included engagements at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Spoleto Festival USA, and Bitef Theatre, while residencies at The Yard (summer school), The Performance Garage, and PICA (Portland Institute for Contemporary Art) consolidated the company’s reputation. Over the following decade, Nonsense maintained partnerships with presenters such as Lincoln Center Festival, La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, and The Kitchen (arts center), and collaborated with directors associated with Wooster Group, Forced Entertainment, and Complicité.
Artistic Vision and Style
The company’s aesthetic draws on techniques popularized by practitioners linked to Jerzy Grotowski, Vsevolod Meyerhold, and Suzanne Farrell, while also referencing the physical vocabularies of Buster Keaton, Jacques Tati, and Pina Bausch. Productions often combine mask work informed by Trestle Theatre Company methods, musical experimentation reminiscent of The Residents, and puppetry traditions from companies like Compagnie Philippe Genty and Bread and Puppet Theater. The troupe emphasizes ensemble devising with scores influenced by choreographers and directors from Merce Cunningham, Anne Bogart, and Ellen Stewart. Visual design frequently cites scenographers who have worked at Royal Shakespeare Company, Comédie-Française, and National Theatre (London).
Productions and Repertoire
Notable productions include devised pieces and adaptations staged in collaboration with dramaturgs connected to Royal Court Theatre, Schaubühne, and St. Ann's Warehouse. The company has presented original works inspired by texts associated with Samuel Beckett, Eugène Ionesco, and Harold Pinter, as well as site-specific projects in partnership with museums and venues such as Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, and The Barbican Centre. Touring repertoire has appeared at festivals including Just for Laughs, Adelaide Festival, and Holland Festival, and has been featured in program seasons curated by Southbank Centre, Arena Stage, and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The company’s seasonal programming mixes short-form cabaret pieces with large-scale evening-length work and occasional multimedia collaborations with artists from Studio Olafur Eliasson and composers connected to Bang on a Can.
Notable Personnel
Artistic directors and core ensemble members have included alumni of conservatories such as Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Resident collaborators have ranged from choreographers with ties to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to composers affiliated with Metropolitan Opera and lighting designers who have worked at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences-recognized productions. Guest directors and dramaturgs have included artists associated with Peter Brook, Lynn Nottage, and Simon McBurney. The company’s mentoring network extends to playwrights and directors connected to Tony Kushner, Caryl Churchill, August Wilson, and Annie Baker.
Community Engagement and Education
Educational initiatives have involved partnerships with community venues such as Brooklyn Academy of Music, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and arts education programs run by National Endowment for the Arts affiliates. Nonsense developed outreach workshops inspired by methodologies taught at L'École Philippe Gaulier, Second City Training Center, and Ballroom Marfa, offering clowning, devised theatre, and mask-making curricula to youth and adult learners. Projects have been commissioned by municipal arts departments and cultural organizations like Americans for the Arts, Arts Council England, and Creative Time, and the company has collaborated with social-practice artists linked to Theaster Gates and Harrell Fletcher for neighborhood-based commissions.
Awards and Recognition
The company’s productions have received honors at festivals and awards juried by panels with members from institutions such as Tony Awards, Olivier Awards, and Obie Awards. Individual members have been recipients of fellowships and prizes administered by MacArthur Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, and Princeton Arts Council, and the company has been profiled in publications including The New Yorker, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Critical recognition has noted affinities to landmark works associated with Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht, and the troupe has been shortlisted for commissions from organizations such as Dramaten, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, and PROTOTYPE Festival.
Organizational Structure and Funding
Nonsense operates as a not-for-profit entity with a board comprising professionals drawn from arts administration networks including National Performance Network, Arts Midwest, and Theatre Communications Group (TCG). Funding streams include grants and awards from foundations such as Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation, earned income from touring engagements at institutions like Kennedy Center, and philanthropic contributions managed through donor networks connected to Sundance Institute and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Administrative leadership has experience with fiscal sponsorship arrangements through organizations similar to Fractured Atlas and has maintained relationships with regional arts councils such as New York State Council on the Arts and Illinois Arts Council Agency.