What’s On Stage
Piven Theatre Workshop would like to invite you to join us and experience the power of play!
On our stage you will see devised, scripted, and new work. Each of which is an important part of our artistic mission and history. At the Workshop we are committed to accessibility in art and to creating a gathering space for our community. We hope that you will join us and experience what’s on our stage!
Come see our work live, on the Piven stage! A variety of production opportunities are scheduled on our production calendar each year. From our renowned youth performance companies to staged readings of new work, and productions from other theatre companies that rent our space, there is always something exciting to see on the Workshop stage.
Happening Now @ Piven
Check this space often to see what’s coming to our stage in the coming weeks!
Performance Project
The Performance Project is an invitation only performance ensemble for 6th-8th grade students. Students in this performance troupe study with us for several years before being invited into the ensemble, so they are already well-versed in the Piven technique and are building the skills necessary to move on to more advanced coursework at the Workshop. Our Performance Project company members undertake an intensive training program focused on improvisation, ensemble-building, and crafting Story Theatre adaptations of myths, folk talks, fairy tales, and modern short stories. Every winter, the Performance Project theatre company presents a festival of world premiere adaptations for Piven students as well as the wider community.
Young People’s Company
The most advanced program Piven offers to our youth performers in 9th–12th grades, Young People’s Company has a long history of seeing outstanding performers and artists emerge from its folds. After an intensive training and rehearsal process, YPC’s annual festival of world premiere story theatre adaptations explores myths, folk tales, fairy tales, and modern short stories and is consistently among the highlights of our theatrical season.
Young People’s Company members typically study with Piven for several years before being invited to join this elite ensemble. Company members are adept in all of the skills that Piven trains actors to value: they are dynamic, surprising performers who are sensitive to the emotional needs of the stories they share with our audiences. Company members are sophisticated communicators who confidently share their voices and take bold risks while simultaneously honoring the voices of their fellow ensemble members.
Many Young People’s Company members go on to pursue studies and careers in the arts, often coming back to the Workshop as teachers to share their passion with the next generation of theatre makers. All YPC alumni are valued members of the Piven family, who take into the community lives enriched by the Workshop’s emphasis on the deepest personal expression through focus on the communal experience that is theatre.
Open Workshops
Throughout the year, we have open workshop performances for each class. These informal productions provide a look into our class offerings. The audience is invited into our process to discover more about our learning objectives and how our lessons give young actors the tools to excel in the arts and beyond. The techniques that students learn in our classes are invaluable for building stronger communication, problem solving, critical thinking and creative skills. We would love for you to join us and take a look into our process at one of our open workshops!
We also offer open workshop performances for our adult classes, which similarly celebrates the work that our adult students have done over the course of the session. Our open workshops are a great place to start if you are interested in joining our community of artists.
New Work
At the workshop, we pride ourselves on our commitment to the development of new work from emerging artists. Part of our mission as an arts organization is to uplight the voices of young professionals by providing them with the resources they need. We are passionate about providing artists with an accessible black box theatre to showcase their work. Supporting new work is one of the many ways we prioritize and amplify new voices and different perspectives.
Rent Our Space
The workshop is a creative hub and a place where community thrives. To that end, we rent our theatre, classroom, and office space to other artistic, community, and spiritual groups. Our space rentals are flexible and suited to fit the needs of various groups and organizations.
Learn more about renting our space.
If you are interested in renting our space, please contact awalker@piventheatre.org