Piven Theatre Workshop

Specialties

For nearly 40 years, the Piven Theatre Workshop has maintained both a professional subscription theatre and a nationally acclaimed actors training center for children and adults. The Mission of the Piven Theatre Workshop is to preserve a process of creative exploration that celebrates each individual’s unique voice through an ensemble-​based, community-​oriented approach to theatre training and performance. This mission, as it has evolved for over 30 years, is pursued through the three branches of the organization: the training center for children and adults, annually serving 1,000 students with mentorship opportunities for emerging theatre artists and educators, the extensive scholarship and community outreach programs, and the professional Equity theatre committed to new works and literary adaptations.

History

Established in 1974.

The Piven Theatre Workshop now annually trains approximately 1,000 students from age nine to adult. By focusing on the creative process rather than the pre-​patterned result, on releasing the natural sense of play, and on the richest personal expression evoked through the communal experience that is theatre, the Piven Theatre Workshop training program has touched countless lives over the years. For all the spawning of celebrities, the Piven Theatre Workshop’s greatest value may be to those many students who have taken into their lives and professions an enriched understanding of the human exchange and greater confidence in the value of their unique presence. The Piven Theatre has been producing highly acclaimed productions throughout its history. In recent years, Piven Theatre has received five Recommendations for Joseph Jefferson Awards, an After Dark Award for Outstanding Ensemble, a Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Adaptation and a nomination for Best Original Score.