Trinity Repertory Company Named State Theater of Rhode Island

Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company, under the leadership of The Richard L. Bready Artistic Director Curt Columbus and Executive Director Michael Gennaro is thrilled to announce that they have been named the State Theater of Rhode Island. The bill, introduced by House Speaker Gordon Fox (D), and Senator Maryellen Goodwin (D) officially passed Tuesday, June 4, 2013. Columbus, Gennaro, members of The Acting Company and board of directors accepted the honor on the floor of the Statehouse.

This Joint Resolution of the General Assembly commemorates the 50th anniversary of the founding of Trinity Repertory Company and honors the management, staff, actors and artists who have made Trinity Rep a must-see destination for the past five decades." The Joint Resolution declares Trinity Repertory Company to be the State Theater of Rhode Island and, "encourages all to patronize and enjoy the talents, diversity, and enchantment of an evening or matinee at Trinity Rep."

"We could not be more thrilled and humbled by this recognition," states Curt Columbus. "Over the past 50 years this theater has stayed true to our founder's desire to create local art by local artists for Rhode Island. It is an honor to join only a handful of theaters nationwide that have been named their state's theater. While we have been recognized nationally for our work, it is doubly special to be honored by one's own home state."

The bill acknowledges Trinity Rep's impact not only as a creative, social and artistic setting for the arts, but as an economic engine for the state. As Rhode Island's largest arts organization, Trinity Rep has a significant impact on the community, and is a linchpin of Providence's arts and entertainment district. The theater employs over 100 artistic and administrative staff and annually generates nearly $12 million in economic activity.

From its humble roots in 1963 in the Trinity United Methodist Church, Tony Award-winning Trinity Repertory Company has undergone an incredible transformation in 50 years, becoming one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident Acting Company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 49-year history, the theater has produced 62 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA program, trained the next generation of actors and directors.

Local, national, and international recognition has come to Trinity Rep consistently. In 1968, it was the first American theater company to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. The company received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater Company in 1981, produced four teleVision Productions for PBS, and toured to India and Syria.

Arts education at all levels is central to the Trinity Rep mission. 2013-2014 will mark the 47th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep's educational programs reached nearly 15,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. The Young Actors Studio allows thousands of students across the region to participate in after-school enrichment activities at the theater as well as drama therapy programs designed for children on the autism spectrum.

Located at 201 Washington Street in Downtown Providence. Trinity Repertory Company moved to its present home at the Lederer Theater Center in 1973. The historic landmark, formerly known as the Majestic Theatre, houses two performance spaces: the 500-plus seat Chace Theater and the 300-seat Dowling Theater, as well as offices, production shops, and rehearsal halls.

Subscriptions are now on sale for Trinity Rep's 50th anniversary 2013-2014 season, which includes John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, the New England premiere of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang, Lionel Bart's Oliver!, Intimate Apparel by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage, the world premiere of Veronica Meadows by Stephen Thorne and A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.