THA 114: Theatre Appreciation

Actors' Equity Association (“Equity"), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors' Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.

AACT offers a wide range of opportunities to share experiences, problems, successes and love of theatre. We serve both individuals and organizations.

The American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) is a U.S.-based professional organization that fosters scholarship on worldwide theatre and performance, both historical and contemporary. Members of the American Society for Theatre Research say the Society is a space to share scholarship and a home for networking within the profession. ASTR also sponsors or coordinates several awards, grants, fellowships, and prizes to support and recognize outstanding scholarship in theatre and performance studies.

American Theatre Wing invests in brave work, supports creative growth, and celebrates excellence to bring inclusive stories to our national culture through theatre. Founded in 1917 on the eve of America’s entry into World War I by seven suffragists, American Theatre Wing has spent a century using theatre to advance human experience, empathy and cultural growth like never before.

The Association for Asian Performance is an international organization of scholars and artists interested in the theatre and theatrical performance traditions of Asian regions.

AJT supports and celebrates the diverse voices of Jewish theatre-makers around the world. We empower artists, build community, and promote work that reflects the richness of Jewish life.

The Dramatists Guild of America is the national, professional membership trade association of theatre writers including playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists.

New Jersey Theatre Alliance was founded in 1981 by five professional theatres on the belief that the theatre community is stronger united, not divided, and that one theatre’s success is a success for all.

A historic venue on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, it hosts Broadway productions and other major performances.

Act II Playhouse is committed to theatrical programming that is both accessible and entertaining. Act II is committed to creating and producing original, classic, and contemporary plays, musicals, and cabarets (both comedic and musical) that reflect the highest artistic standards, and presenting them in our intimate venue that draws audiences and performers into a unique, vibrant and dynamic interaction.

Lantern Theater Company produces plays that investigate and illuminate what is essential in the human spirit and the spirit of the times. We seek to be a vibrant, contributing member of our community, exposing audiences to great theater, inviting participation in dialogue and discussion, and engaging audience members about artistic and social issues.

Founded in 2012, Theatre Philadelphia is dedicated to bringing together and celebrating Philadelphia's diverse and growing theatre community. We are committed to leading efforts that grow audiences and promote the public participation in theatrical work. Over the past several decades, Philadelphia has transformed into a major regional theatre community, with a remarkable blossoming of new companies and new buildings, a growing pool of exceptional artists, and fiercely committed and curious audiences and supporters. Theatre Philadelphia envisions a region that celebrates this growing and ever-changing theatre community – nurturing local theatre artists, fostering the creation of extraordinary work, forging stronger connections between our art and audiences – recognizing that a diverse, robust, and thriving theatre community can play a pivotal role in making Philadelphia a world-class city. Theatre Philadelphia's programs include this website, the annual Barrymore Awards, and strategies for audience awareness and growth.

The Walnut Street Theatre, founded in 1808, is America's Oldest Theatre. It is also the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, and a National Historic Landmark.

Act II Playhouse offers a range of educational workshops teaching the fundamentals of performance, stand-up comedy, and improv!

Since its opening in 2005, Philly Improv Theater (PHIT) has been the heart of Philadelphia’s nationally recognized comedy scene. PHIT produces over 1,000 performances annually, from fully improvised comedies, to brand-new sketch shows, and whatever else we come up with. Beyond Philadelphia, Philly Improv Theater’s performers tour regularly, making appearances at the most prestigious comedy venues across North America.