The Blank Theatre Company is a non-profit theatre company located in Los Angeles, California.
History
The Blank Theatre Company was founded in 1990 by artistic director/Co-Artistic Producer Daniel Henning, who stepped down in 2022, The Blank's mission is to produce either premieres or "reinventions" of previously produced material.
In 1992, the theatre began an annual Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival, which has provided an outlet for the creative efforts of over 200 playwrights aged nineteen and younger. Notable alumni of the festival include Pulitzer Prize nominee and 2016 Tony winner for The Humans, Stephen Karam and Jake in Progress creator Austin Winsberg.Wada, Karen. Blank Theatre's young playwrights' festival turns 20 Los Angeles Times, May 25, 2012
The Blank also produces the "Living Room Series", a workshop series of mostly new works. The series culminates in a Monday night performance and is presented nearly every Monday night from Labor Day to Memorial Day. The LRS has developed 600 new plays over the past 25+ years. Many of the scripts have gone on to receive productions and accolades at venues including Manhattan Theatre Club, Laguna Playhouse and Brideswell Theatre in London. In fact, The Explorer's Club by Nell Benjamin went on to win the NY Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play, A Singular They by Aliza Goldstein won the Ted Schmitt Award for World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play, and Heads by EM Lewis won the Francesca Primus Prize.
In April 1996, the company moved to its current home at the 53-seat 2nd Stage Theatre in Hollywood, California, at 6500 Santa Monica Blvd.
Awards
The Blank Theatre Company has received numerous Los Angeles theater awards, including six Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards and three LA Weekly Awards.
Personnel Daniel Henning - Artistic Director/Producer (1990-2022) Noah Wyle - Artistic Producer (1998 - 2008)
Notable alumni
Ed Asner Amber Benson Nicholas Brendon Warren Davis Eliza Dushku Susan Egan Sarah Michelle Gellar Alyson Hannigan
Sally Kellerman James Kerwin Richard Kind Ricki Lake Matthew Lillard Allison Mack James Marsters Debra Messing
Molly Shannon Sherri Shepherd Kate Shindle Bruce Vilanch Gedde Watanabe Mae Whitman Noah Wyle Constance Zimmer
Mainstage productions
The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) (World Premiere) 2016 Set Up and Punch (World Premiere) 2009 The Jazz Age (West Coast Premiere) 2009 Speech and Debate (West Coast Premiere) 2008 Little Fish (West Coast Premiere) 2007 Heads (World Premiere) 2007 Missouri Waltz (World Premiere) 2007 Hotel C'est L'Amour (World Premiere) 2006 Lobster Alice (Los Angeles Premiere) 2006 A Hole in the Wall (West Coast Premiere) 2006 The Wild Party (West Coast Premiere) 2005 The Book of Liz (Los Angeles Premiere) 2005 Les Liaisons Dangereuses 2005 American Way (World Premiere) 2004 As Is 2004 Funny... (2 World Premieres) 2003 Fill in the Blank (World Premiere) 2003 Sanguine (World Premiere) 2003 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 2002 First Lady Suite (West Coast Premiere) 2002
Precious Sons (West Coast Premiere) 2000 The Why (World Premiere) 2000 A Night Out With Young Playwrights (2 World Premieres) 1999 Starr Struck: A Musical Investigation (World Premiere) 1999 Hello Again (West Coast Premiere) 1998 Loot 1997 Sky's End (World Premiere) 1996 Breaking the Code (L.A. premiere) 1996 Young Playwrights Mainstage 95 (3 World Premieres) 1995 Chess (L.A. Premiere) 1995 The Cradle Will Rock (Off Ramp Theatre) 1994 Gertrude Stein and A Companion (L.A. Premiere) 1994 In Stitches (World Premiere) 1994 Isn't It Romantic? 1993 The Fantasticks 1993 A Snake in the Vein (West Coast Premiere) 1993 Sexual Perversity in Chicago / Hills Like White Elephants 1991 The Winter's Tale 1991 Hosanna 1990
References
External links Official website