Primary Stages

Primary Stages is an Off Broadway theater company dedicated to inspiring, supporting and sharing the art of playwriting. We operate on the belief that the future of American theater relies on nurturing individual playwrights and giving them the artistic support needed to create plays of local, national and international significance. As Resident Theater Company of 59E59 Theaters, Primary Stages produces a season of 3-5 plays each year. We develop new works through commissions, workshops, and readings and supports playwrights through our two flagship programs - The Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group and the Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA). Since our founding in 1984, we have produced more than 100 new works, many of them world premieres, and engaged more than 2,000 theater artists. Through all our activities, Primary Stages advocates for our artists, helping them make important, and often transformative, connections within the theater community.