We are a company made up, largely, of theatre people. People who chose, at some point in their lives, to engage deeply with the principles of theatre. Storytelling. Inclusion. Imagination. Collaboration. Readiness. All principles that serve us well both on-stage and off.
At Theatre Projects, we like to say that theatre is everywhere. That our work is infused with theatrical thinking, even if our collaborators are not theatrical people. In fact, some of our favorite projects are with non-theatre people. Architects. Visual artists. Developers. Hoteliers. Civic planners. Restauranteurs. Retail owners. Sport venue managers. Office designers. Academics. Cruise line operators.
What comes from a life in the theatre is a vocabulary and a toolkit that serve us on every project. And for us, that feels like a special offering to clients. When we get to work together, we immediately return to those principles:
- Storytelling: how do visitors experience this work; how can we step out of the way and give artists everything they need to succeed?
- Inclusion: where can we improve levels of access and welcome; where does this space fit into the larger community’s narrative?
- Imagination: what creative solutions exist for the problems defined as “impossible;” how can this space anticipate users 100 years from now?
- Collaboration: how can we best balance active listening with compassionate leadership; what voices should be heard at the table but aren’t?
- Readiness: in what ways can our spaces safely support creative risk while minimizing actual danger; what are the difficult decisions leaders must anticipate to ensure the longevity of their organizations?
We’re a people who believe in the creative process and in the capacity of people, working together, to defy conventional expectations. That asks us to remain open to new ideas and to treat every project like a brand new production—unique in its challenges, demanding of a bespoke set of recommendations informed by lifetimes of experience. Whatever the client’s market, whatever their lifecycle stage, we offer a brain-trust of the best space planners and designers anywhere on the planet.
And something else about theatre people: they’re particularly good when things get bad. Whether a tornado forces a production to delay for a half-hour or an aerialist gets stuck in their silks mid-show (both true stories from our team, unfortunately), the show must go on. At Theatre Projects, we always find the right way to the finish, on-time and on-budget, and (we think at least) we’re a lot of fun to work with along the way.
