In 2005, Essential Theatre was awarded our first-ever grant – by the Fulton County Arts Council.

Since that time, Fulton County has been a steadfast supporter of Essential’s work – and 2016 was the third summer in a row that we partnered with a Fulton County Performing Arts Center to produce the festival, in addition to receiving a grant from the FCAC.

Fulton County has been a vital part of the fabric of our support network over the past 10+ years, helping us to grow and remain true to our commitment to bring Atlanta what’s new and give Georgia playwrights a voice.  

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Award-winning playwright and Atlanta resident Topher Payne wrote the script for Broadcasting Christmas, playing throughout the holiday season on the Hallmark Channel. Click here to read more…

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Taking advantage of those online sales this weekend? Support us when you shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #StartWithASmile at smile.amazon.com/ch/58-2451698 and Amazon donates to Essential Theatre Inc.

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Tomorrow afternoon at 4:00, Emory University hosts their next Creativity Conversation, entitled “Shakespeare’s Words and Works.” Essential alumna Lauren Gunderson will be among the guest speakers at this conversation. Her latest play, “The Book of Will,” focuses on the survival of Shakespeare’s words via the printing of the First Folio.

The event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Rose Library within the Woodruff Library as part of a year-long celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death coordinated by the Center for Creativity & Arts and Emory University.

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Experience The Henry the Sixth performances in chronological order!

The Shakespeare Tavern will be presenting the Henry VI performances in rep November 12-27, and Essential’s founder Peter Hardy is in parts 1 and 2 of 3!

Here’s the schedule:

PART 1 on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m.
PART 2 on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m.
PART 3 on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
PART 1 on Friday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
PART 2 on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
PART 3 on Sunday, Nov.

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Now through November 20, see Essential favorite Topher Payne dancin’ it up onstage with a fantastic team of Atlanta talent in On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning by Eric Overmyer a, directed by Atlanta theatre cornerstone Carolyn Cook.

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Winner of the 2010 Essential Theatre Playwriting Award, Gabriel Jason Dean‘s plays have been produced or developed at Theatre Row, Hangar Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, the Lark Play Development Center, New York Stage and Film, People’s Light & Theatre, ASSITEJ International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People, the Kennedy Center, Dallas Children’s Theater, A Red Orchid Theatre, Aurora Theatre, Dad’s Garage Theatre, Actor’s Express Theatre Company, Horizon Theatre Company, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Source Festival in Washington, D.C., and Essential Theatre. Dean received the Kennedy Center’s ACTF 2012 Paula Vogel Prize, Theatre for Young Audience’s Award and was runner-up for the Steinberg/ATCA National Playwriting Award.

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Essential Theatre is the longest-running theatre dedicated exclusively to supporting the work of Georgia playwrights. Although we only produce plays during our summer festival, we work year-round to provide important opportunities to Georgia playwrights and Essential audiences.

Funds raised through this campaign are matched 1:1 by the City of Atlanta and will help to fund Essential’s two staff positions and cover expenses for our non-festival readings, panels and conversations. Even better, your support today helps us keep these events admission-free throughout the year.

For more details on the work we’re doing now and what, specifically,

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“August Wilson is the No. 1 playwright in America this season, but San Francisco playwright Lauren Gunderson isn’t far behind” claims the October issue of American Theatre Magazine. Read more…

Sandwiched between August Wilson, the number one most-produced playwright of 2016-17, and Arthur Miller,  Essential’s own Lauren Gunderson clocks in as the second most-produced playwright of 2016-17 according to American Theatre Magazine.

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Join Essential Theatre, Peter Hardy, Karen Wurl and special guests Dr. Donald McManus and Mira Hirsch for a post-show conversation about the Yiddish theatre tradition, its role in American theatre and its history here in Atlanta following the August 6 performance of Karen Wurl’s Dispossessed.

To purchase tickets for the show that night, visit www.EssentialTheatre.Tix.com.

Donald Cameron McManus is an Associate Professor of Theatre Studies at Emory University and Resident Actor/Director/Dramaturg at Theatre Emory. Born in Montréal, Quebec, Dr. McManus has worked professionally as an actor, director, musician and clown in Canada,

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