THE FLEA THEATER INC
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Mission Statement
The Flea Theater was founded in 1996 by a group of downtown theater artists – director Jim Simpson, playwright Mac Wellman, designer Kyle Chepulis, and actress Sigourney Weaver – who set out to “raise a joyful hell in a small space.” That spirit of adventure and irreverence has defined Off-Off-Broadway since its inception and continues to define The Flea today. We are committed to upholding the aesthetic of Off-Off-Broadway as a place for experimentation, discovery, and authenticity, and our body of work has earned us an Obie, an Otto, and a special Drama Desk citation for our commitment to adventurous theater. Under the producing vision of Carol Ostrow since 2001 and the artistic direction of Niegel Smith since 2015, The Flea’s programs remain rooted in the belief that opportunity feeds the creative spirit. Our stages are filled by emerging artists learning their craft alongside veteran artists trying out new directions, which means our seasons are eclectic and our theaters rarely dark. The sheer volume of activity at The Flea is an expression of our mission, as is its diversity – over 46% of the work we produce reflects the perspectives of artists of color, non-binary gender, and/or physical disability, often tackling issues of race, class, and power head-on. The Flea kicked off its third decade by moving into a brand-new home, a three-theater performing arts complex on Thomas Street. Still true to our mission, each of our distinctly designed theaters is tailored to the needs of Off-Off-Broadway by being flexible, intimate, and well-equipped. They ignite the imaginations of our artists and appeal to lovers of downtown theater, music, and dance – since opening our new doors, we have presented/produced 750+ performances for more than 33,000 attendees, made more dramatic when considering that each of our spaces holds 99 seats or less.
About This Cause
The Flea believes that all artists need opportunities to share their work with a live audience in order to grow. Our stages are highly active with as many as three shows a night. World premieres and commissions are always a feature – A.R. Gurney, Ellen McLaughlin and David Henry Hwang are just a few of the established writers who have premiered work at The Flea, as have early and mid-career playwrights such as Thomas Bradshaw, Lucas Hnath, and Najila Said. What all our writers have in common is a strong perspective on the world, an urgent need to communicate, and an eagerness to work in the vibrant aesthetic of The Flea. We are especially known for our Resident Artist Programs – The Bats and Resident Directors – which give early-career artists the chance to work with writers, actors and directors while also generating their own work in a professional environment. The programs have grown to become some of the most diverse in the country, thanks to proactive policies aimed at encouraging applicants of color and removing traditional barriers to access – for example, we hold open auditions and ethnically specific calls every year. The Flea currently hosts 120 resident artists: 95 members of The Bats, our resident acting company, 19 Resident Directors and Associate Artists, and six members of SERIALS Writers Room. There are over 20 itinerant theater, music and dance companies in residence through our Anchor Partner supported rental program. Our organization serves 15,000 audience members per year. In 2009, The Flea made a commitment to increasing diversity and instituted policies to reach that goal. As a result, our resident acting company has gone from 90% cis-white in 2009 to 46% in 2019. Since moving to our new space, 53% of the work we’ve produced was written by women, artists of color, and/or gender nonconforming artists. This has led to a higher percentage of audiences from those same communities – by centering on their stories consistently, they attend our shows and experience a deeper sense of belonging to The Flea’s growing community.