Southern Rep Theatre

Southern Rep Theatre
Name	Southern Rep Theatre
Established	1986
Location	New Orleans, Louisiana
Capacity	variable
Artistic director	undefined
Genre	Regional theatre, Contemporary drama

Southern Rep Theatre

Southern Rep Theatre is a professional theatre company based in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1986. The company has engaged with regional audiences through contemporary plays, new commissions, and adaptations, operating within the cultural ecosystems of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, Auburn University, and links to national networks such as National Endowment for the Arts, League of Resident Theatres, and Actors' Equity Association. Its work intersects with institutions including New Orleans Philharmonic, Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, New Orleans Museum of Art, and civic organizations like City of New Orleans cultural initiatives.

History

The company's origins trace to the late 20th century theatrical revival that included peer organizations like Arena Stage, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Center Theatre Group, La Jolla Playhouse, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Early seasons featured partnerships with playwrights connected to Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Sam Shepard, and newer voices associated with Tony Kushner, Suzan-Lori Parks, Lynn Nottage, and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. In the 1990s and 2000s the company responded to regional challenges alongside institutions such as Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and recovery efforts coordinated by Federal Emergency Management Agency and United States Department of Housing and Urban Development after events that reshaped the Gulf South cultural landscape. Collaborations have included touring and co-productions with New York Theatre Workshop, Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Yale School of Drama, University of California, San Diego, and Princeton University theatre programs.

Facilities and Location

The company has operated in multiple venues in New Orleans neighborhoods near French Quarter, Warehouse District, and proximate to Marrero, Metairie, and Lakeview, New Orleans. Performance spaces have ranged from black box configurations similar to those at Humana Festival of New American Plays venues to proscenium houses resembling stages at Orpheum Theatre (New Orleans). The theatre's offices and rehearsal spaces have engaged with property owners, preservationists, and development authorities such as Historic New Orleans Collection, Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, New Orleans Building Corporation, and local arts funders including Arts Council of New Orleans and Greater New Orleans Foundation.

Productions and Seasons

Season programming has spanned contemporary drama, new play development, and adaptations of classic works akin to programming at Public Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Long Wharf Theatre, and Goodman Theatre. Past seasons have mounted works by playwrights who have worked with Royal Shakespeare Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre (UK), and U.S. playwrights linked to Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Obie Awards, Tony Awards, and MacArthur Fellows Program. The company has presented world premieres, regional premieres, and revivals alongside directors with credits at Lincoln Center, producers from The Broadway League, and designers affiliated with Costume Designers Guild. Tours and guest artists have included collaborations with ensembles such as Alliance Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and festivals like Spoleto Festival USA.

Education and Community Programs

Educational outreach has included youth conservatory models comparable to programs at Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Kennedy Center, and Children's Theatre Company (Minneapolis), offering workshops in acting, voice, and movement alongside partnerships with higher education institutions including University of New Orleans, Dillard University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Southern University at New Orleans, and vocational arts programs at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. Community initiatives have connected with social service agencies such as AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, and advocacy groups like ACLU of Louisiana and Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation to expand access and inclusion, mirroring engagement models used by La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club and Penumbra Theatre Company.

Leadership and Organization

Governance has involved boards and advisory councils similar to structures at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Roundabout Theatre Company, drawing trustees from sectors represented by Greater New Orleans, Inc., Tulane University School of Law, and Loyola University New Orleans alumni networks. Administrative leadership has coordinated grantmaking with funders including National Endowment for the Arts, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and state agencies such as Louisiana Division of the Arts. Staffing models have included artistic directors, managing directors, development directors, and education directors with professional affiliations to Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, United Scenic Artists, and Actors' Equity Association.

Awards and Recognition

The company and its artists have been recognized in regional and national forums similar to honors given by Helen Hayes Awards, Jeff Awards, Lucille Lortel Awards, and state arts awards administered by Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation and PoLA (Performing Arts League of America). Individual productions and artists have received citations from critics associated with The Times-Picayune, The Advocate (Baton Rouge), and national coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Collaborating playwrights and directors have earned or been finalists for prestigious prizes including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Tony Awards, Obie Awards, MacArthur Fellows Program, and Guggenheim Fellowship.

Category:Theatres in New Orleans