A Note From Artistic and Managing Directors: The only way to fix the American theater is to transform it

Dear Friends,

If you’ve been to the theater lately, you may have looked around and wondered why theater audiences look so different from the communities that make up our neighborhoods and cities. The fact is that most New Yorkers — indeed, most Americans — never make it to the theater. As we approach the end of the year, we find ourselves reflecting on a critical question: Why isn’t the American theater working for most Americans?

Last year, the average income of a family attending a play on Broadway was over $250,000 — while the median household income in New York City was $76,577. Meanwhile, institutions across the American theater are buckling under the pressure of dwindling ticket sales, fewer donations, and the rising costs of production. Simply put, as it exists today, the American theater isn’t working. So, we’re staking a bold claim: the only way to fix the American theater is to transform it — to find new audiences, by making space for those who have historically been left out.

For 40 years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to making theater work for people who work. As we celebrate this milestone season, we’re setting the stage for the future, and we need your support to help us chart the path forward.

In the past year, we’ve strengthened our collaborative efforts, partnering on groundbreaking projects like The Blue Parts with the Drama League, La Dureza with the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and American Steel, our Playwright-in-Residence program with Action Lab. These partnerships ensure that our theater not only tells the stories of working people, but also serves as a tool for change in our communities, by joining forces with cultural organizers on the frontlines of the labor movement.

We’re building upon those collaborations in our 40th season, themed “The People, The Party, The Protest: 40 Years Towards a Working Theater.” This season is a bold celebration of groundbreaking work and new partnerships that will shape the future of the American theater. From the kick-off of our We Got the Power Community Open Mic Night to our very first Stage Left festival this spring, our programming this season exemplifies our commitment to amplifying the voices of the working class. This inaugural festival, in June 2025, will serve as a springboard for at least five playwrights whose work is deeply embedded in labor organizing. We can’t wait to share more details with you in the coming months!

In order to sustain and grow this work, we need your help. To build the audience of the future, we have to radically reimagine when, where, and with whom theater is made. In order to become the theater that working people truly deserve, we need to significantly expand our resources. At Working Theater, that means building a sustainable artistic budget, capacity for staff, and crucially, expanding our trailblazing access and adult education programs.

That’s why, within the next three years, we’re committed to growing our annual budget from around $450,000 to over $1 million, so we can carry out the ambitious work needed to build an audience for the future — to become a theater where working people are seen, heard, and valued. Your generosity has always been the cornerstone of our success, and now, more than ever, we need your support to move forward. This season has already made an impact, but we need to raise $40,000 by the end of this year to continue our momentum. Your donation will help us ensure that we can keep telling the stories of working people and create a truly inclusive American theater.

Please use the link to make your contribution toward the future of Working Theater.

We’re inviting you to be part of a movement for the future of theater — a theater that works for everyone. Together, with your support, our shared dreams for the American theater can come true. Please help us resource the path forward by giving an amount that is personally meaningful to you.

Thank you for being a part of this journey with us, and our deepest gratitude to those of you who’ve supported Working Theater so far this year. Together, we can create a future where the American theater truly works — for all of us.

In solidarity,

Colm Summers and Kylee Brinkman 

Artistic Director and Managing Director