About Primary Stages

Primary Stages is an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theatre company dedicated to inspiring, supporting, and sharing the art of playwriting. We operate on the strongly held belief that the future of American theatre relies on nurturing playwrights and giving them the artistic support needed to create new work. Since our founding in 1984, we have produced more than 120 new plays, including Donald Margulies' THE MODEL APARTMENT (1995 premiere and 2013 revival); David Ives' ALL IN THE TIMING (original 1993 production and 2013 revival); Billy Porter's WHILE I YET LIVE; Kate Fodor's Rx; Charles Busch's THE TRIBUTE ARTIST and OLIVE AND THE BITTER HERBS; A.R. Gurney's BLACK TIE; Horton Foote's HARRISON, TX and DIVIDING THE ESTATE (two 2009 Tony Award® nominations); Theresa Rebeck's POOR BEHAVIOR; Brooke Berman's HUNTING AND GATHERING; Terrence McNally's DEDICATION OR THE STUFF OF DREAMS and THE STENDHALL SYNDROME; Danai Gurira and Nikkole Salter's IN THE CONTINUUM (which went on to tour the U.S., Africa, and Scotland); and Conor McPherson's ST. NICHOLAS (which marked the playwright's U.S. debut).

Our productions and artists have received critical acclaim, including Tony, Obie, Lortel, AUDELCO, Outer Critics' Circle, Drama League, and Drama Desk awards and nominations. Primary Stages supports playwrights and develops new works through commissions, workshops, readings, and our education and training programs: The Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, the Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA), the Fordham/Primary Stages MFA in Playwriting, and the newly launched Primary Stages Off-Broadway Oral History Project. Through these programs, Primary Stages advocates for our artists, helping them make important—and often transformative—connections within the theatre community.