WP Theater

WP Theater is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater organization based in New York City. Founded in 1978 by producer Julia Miles, it was created in response to the severe underrepresentation of women playwrights, directors, producers, and other theater professionals in American theater. The organization began as The Women's Project under the umbrella of The American Place Theatre and later became an independent company known as WP Theater. Its work combines theatrical production with artist development, long-term residencies, community engagement, and advocacy for artists who have historically been marginalized because of gender or gender expression. During its first nine years, the company presented work in the basement of The American Place Theatre. In 1987 it separated from that institution and established itself as an independent organization. In 1998, it acquired a church building at 424 West 55th Street in Manhattan, the site of Theater Four. The venue was renamed the Julia Miles Theater in 2004 in recognition of the founder, who died in 2020. WP Theater has also partnered with organizations including Playwrights Horizons, Vineyard Theatre, INTAR, and New York Theatre Workshop, frequently presenting world premieres, New York premieres, and developmental productions. The company reports a history of more than 700 Off-Broadway productions and developmental projects. Its repertoire has included new plays, adaptations, experimental theater, documentary drama, musical revues, and works-in-progress. Notable productions include Choices, Still Life, A...My Name is Alice, Abingdon Square, Or,, Freshwater, Hurricane Diane, Bright Half Life, Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, Stuffed, Dirty Laundry, and minor.ity. Its artists have included playwrights, directors, and performers who later received major theater, film, and television recognition. WP has maintained a particularly significant relationship with playwright María Irene Fornés, whose work and artistic collaboration with Julia Miles formed an important part of the company's history. Artist development is central to WP Theater's identity. Its Lab began as the Directors Forum in 1983, expanded to include a Playwrights Lab in 1992, and added a Producers Lab in 2006. The two-year residency supports playwrights, directors, and producers through professional training, rehearsal resources, networking, and opportunities to create and present new work. Since 2016, the residency has culminated in the biennial Pipeline Festival, which presents projects at different stages of development, from readings and streamed films to workshop productions. Earlier development platforms included the First Looks series, which ran from 1999 to 2004 and helped advance works such as Sarah Ruhl's The Clean House. WP Theater also operates programs such as the Main Stage season, the Space Program, the Pages to Stages collaboration with viBe Theater Experience, and the annual Women of Achievement Awards. The awards recognize women from entertainment, business, philanthropy, and related fields. Through its productions, residencies, festivals, awards, and partnerships, WP Theater functions both as an Off-Broadway producer and as an institution designed to expand access, visibility, and professional opportunity for women+ theater artists.

WP Theater was established in 1978 by Julia Miles, who had worked at The American Place Theatre since 1964 and observed that women-authored plays represented only a small fraction of the theater's programming. With support from the Ford Foundation, Miles formed The Women's Project within The American Place Theatre to develop women playwrights and directors and create a sustained venue for their work. The company's first production was Choices, a one-person piece assembled from the writings of authors including Colette, Virginia Woolf, Dorothy Parker, Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Plath, Adrienne Rich, and Joan Didion. It was presented in the basement of The American Place Theatre from November 30 through December 17, 1978. The organization remained in that basement for its first nine years. It became independent in 1987 and continued to build a distinct identity as an Off-Broadway producer and artist-development institution. Its early reputation was strengthened by productions such as Still Life, Emily Mann's documentary-style drama about the aftermath of the Vietnam War. The 1981 production featured Mary McDonnell, Timothy Near, and John Spencer and received four Obie Awards, including Best Production. Another landmark was A...My Name is Alice, a revue conceived and directed by Julianne Boyd and Joan Micklin Silver, which won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Revue for the 1983–84 season. WP Theater developed a close artistic relationship with María Irene Fornés, whose experimental work was championed by Miles and produced by the organization. Abingdon Square received the 1988 Obie Award for Best New American Play. The company subsequently became associated with a broad range of playwrights and directors, including Anne Bogart, Pearl Cleage, Eve Ensler, Dominique Morisseau, Lynn Nottage, Sarah Ruhl, Anna Deavere Smith, Rebecca Taichman, and many other artists at different stages of their careers. In 1998, the organization purchased a church building at 424 West 55th Street in Manhattan, which also housed Theater Four. The venue was renamed the Julia Miles Theater in 2004. The building provided a permanent home for productions, readings, workshops, and development activities. Since its founding, WP Theater has presented more than 700 productions and developmental projects, including collaborations with other New York nonprofit theaters. Artist development became increasingly formalized through the Lab. The Directors Forum began in 1983, the Playwrights Lab was added in 1992, and the Producers Lab followed in 2006. The program evolved into a two-year residency for women+ playwrights, directors, and producers, combining creative development with professional training, leadership preparation, networking, rehearsal space, and a culminating collaborative project. From 1999 to 2004, First Looks presented Lab-related work in a month-long rehearsed-reading format. Since 2016, the biennial Pipeline Festival has served as a major public platform, presenting new work in formats ranging from readings to workshop productions and digital presentations. The company's wider program includes its Main Stage season, Space Program, Pages to Stages partnership with viBe Theater Experience, and Women of Achievement Awards. The awards, established in 1986, have honored women including Maya Angelou, Katie Couric, Whoopi Goldberg, Billie Jean King, Chita Rivera, and Gloria Steinem. WP Theater's founder Julia Miles died on March 18, 2020. The organization continues to operate as a New York nonprofit theater company under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag.

• 2020

  Julia Miles dies

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Founder Julia Miles dies on March 18, 2020.

• 2016

  Pipeline Festival launches

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The biennial Pipeline Festival replaces the earlier culminating Lab presentation model with a public festival of developing work.

• 2006

  Producers Lab is added

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A Producers Lab is created to strengthen collaboration among playwrights, directors, and producers.

• 1998

  Acquires West 55th Street venue

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The organization purchases the former church at 424 West 55th Street, later named the Julia Miles Theater.

• 1992

  Playwrights Lab is added

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The organization expands its artist-residency work to include a dedicated Playwrights Lab.

• 1987

  Becomes independent

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Women's Project separates from The American Place Theatre and operates as an independent organization.

• 1983

  Directors Forum begins

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  WP establishes the program that later becomes part of the WP Lab residency system.

• 1981

  Still Life receives major recognition

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Emily Mann's Still Life is produced and receives four Obie Awards, including Best Production.

• 1978

  The Women's Project is founded

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Julia Miles establishes The Women's Project within The American Place Theatre with Ford Foundation support to address the underrepresentation of women theater artists.

• 1978

  First production, Choices

  [1]WP Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Choices opens in the basement of The American Place Theatre, launching the organization's production history.

A mission-driven Off-Broadway institution focused on women+ theater artists, new-play development, and equitable access to professional production opportunities.

• Off-Broadway productions · 1978

  Main Stage Season

  WP Theater's principal producing program presents professional productions of new, adapted, experimental, and developmental works, often by women+ playwrights and directors. The season has included world premieres and New York premieres and has been delivered both independently and through co-productions with other nonprofit theaters.

• Artist residency · 1983

  WP Lab

  A competitive, two-year residency for women+ playwrights, directors, and producers. Participants receive rehearsal resources, professional and entrepreneurial training, peer collaboration, leadership development, and opportunities to develop or present new theatrical work.

• New-play festival · 2016

  Pipeline Festival

  A biennial festival featuring work created by WP Lab artists. Projects are shown at different points in development, allowing audiences to encounter staged readings, workshop productions, streamed films, and other forms of theatrical experimentation.

• Awards program · 1986

  Women of Achievement Awards

  An annual gala recognizing women who have made notable contributions in entertainment, business, philanthropy, and related fields. The event combines honors with performances and appearances by artists and public figures.

• Rehearsed reading series · 1999

  First Looks

  A former development platform that presented new work by Lab artists over a month-long series. The program ran from 1999 through 2004 and helped advance plays including The Clean House.

• Artist support program

  Space Program

  A WP Theater initiative providing artists and projects with access to space and related support for development, rehearsal, or creative activity. Specific operating details vary by program cycle.

• Education and community collaboration

  Pages to Stages

  A collaboration with viBe Theater Experience connecting writing and performance development with younger artists and community-based theater activity.

1. 1WP Theateren.wikipedia.org
2. 2WP Theater official websitewomensproject.org