Artists Rep Joins League of Resident Theatres

Artists Repertory Theatre is proud to announce the 34 year-old theatre company has been accepted as the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). Artists Rep joins the Northwest's other three LORT theatre companies: Portland Center Stage, Seattle Repertory Theatre and A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), in Seattle.

"Joining the League of Resident Theatres marks a major accomplishment for Artists Rep and fulfills the vision of the hundreds of artists who built the company over more than three decades from a scrappy start-up, subsidized by the artists themselves, to a leading regional theatre with a growing community of support from audiences and donors," said Dámaso Rodriguez, Artistic Director. "Being a part of LORT represents our commitment to compensating artists at the level of our peers nationally."

"The induction of a second Portland theatre company into LORT says something very exciting about our growth and stature as an arts community," says Sarah Horton, Artists Rep's Managing Director. "It's a signal that Portland is well past being regarded as a cultural outpost, and is a place where the arts and theatre in particular are thriving, despite the economic challenges of the last ten years. It's an assertion not just by Artists Rep, but by our whole community that we value professional artists, and I believe is a sign of great things to come."

LORT is the largest professional theatre association of its kind in the United States, with 72 member Theatres located in every major market in the U.S., including 29 states and the District of Columbia. LORT administers the primary national not-for-profit collective bargaining agreements with Actors' Equity Association (AEA), the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), and United Scenic Artists (USA). LORT also deals directly with personnel and management issues involving Theatre staff, artists, and craftspeople. LORT members communicate collectively via LORT Counsel's office in New York.

LORT is also a forum for sharing information regarding all aspects of theatre. Semi-annual Meetings provide opportunities for LORT members to study, discuss, and exchange information on such non-labor management issues as development, marketing, public relations, education, and technology, as well as provide a forum for developing professional relationships. LORT is also committed to the continued training of current and future LORT Managers. To learn about the principle objectives of LORT, as stated in LORT's by-laws, visit their website.

Portland's premiere mid-size regional theatre company is led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodriguez and Managing Director Sarah Horton. Founded in 1982, Artists Repertory Theatre is the longest-running professional theatre company in Portland. Artist Rep became the 72nd member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) in May 2016 and is an Associate Member of the National New Play Network (NNPN).

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