named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group
Writers group fostering the creation of new works by emerging playwrights
Echoes Writers Group
Year-long educational program focused on nurturing women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming artists
Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA)
Multidisciplinary classes in writing, acting, and directing for emerging and established theater artists
Free Student Matinees
Program offering free performances to NYC public high school students, serving over 1,400 students annually
Liff Lab
Annual new play development program providing early to mid-career playwrights with a 29-hour developmental workshop for an unproduced work
Mainstage Season
Annual season of Off-Broadway productions at 59E59 Theaters, showcasing new plays by American playwrights
Off-Broadway Oral History Project
Online video archive featuring personal accounts from influential theater artists
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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New Play Development Programs 2 activities
- Developing new plays through workshopsOffers a new play development program, including the Liff Lab, which provides early to mid-career playwrights with a 29-hour developmental workshop for an unproduced play; "Laowang" was developed through this program.
- Operating artist training and education programsRuns the Einhorn School of Performing Arts and offers classes in writing, acting, and directing, available both in-person and online; also maintains a long-standing writers group that supports emerging playwrights in creating new works.
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Performing Arts Ticket Access Programs 2 activities
- Providing complimentary access to artists and playwrightsOffers free same-day theater tickets to playwrights who present a Dramatists Guild membership card, supporting artistic community access.
- Selling tickets through public and group sales programsOffers single tickets, discounted group tickets ($55 per person for groups of 10+, $25 for student groups), and Student Rush tickets; coordinates group sales each season for groups ranging from 10 to 185 people, welcoming thousands of audience members annually.
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Post-Performance Audience Engagement 1 activity
- Hosting audience engagement eventsOrganizes post-show talkbacks for general audiences and private talkbacks for groups of 25 or more, enabling discussion with artists about the themes of productions such as "Laowang."
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Performing Arts Archival Preservation 1 activity
- Maintaining an oral history archive of Off-Broadway artistsOperates the Off-Broadway Oral History Project, maintaining an online video archive of personal accounts from influential Off-Broadway artists.
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Professional Theatrical Production 1 activity
- Producing new playsProduces and presents new plays, including New York and world premieres; has produced over 150 new plays since 1984, with recent productions such as "Laowang" and "Calf Scramble" presented at 59E59 Theaters as part of its seasonal programming.
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Youth Theater Arts Education 1 activity
- Providing free student matineesHosts free student matinee performances for New York City public high school students, serving over 1,400 annually as part of its educational outreach.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Funding artistic and educational programs through donor partnershipsFunds artistic programs and educational opportunities through donor partnerships starting at $500, leveraging institutional and public funding from sources such as the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$2.80M
Contributions & grants$2.23M80%
Program service revenue$547K20%
Investment income$10K0%
Other revenue$11K
expenses
Total expenses$2.70M
Program expenses69%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising11%
Salaries & benefits$1.84M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$604K
Cash$418K
Investments$5K
Liabilities$266K
Net assets$337K
Liquid reserves1.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +7.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 2
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHANE D HUDSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $183K |
| ERIN DALEY | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 40 | $143K |
board members · 23
- ADAM GWON — BOARD MEMBER
- AMIT SOLOMON — BOARD MEMBER
- ARLINE VOGEL — Vice President
- Beth Green — Board member
- CAROL ROAMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- CASEY CHILDS — FOUNDER
- DOUGLAS DURST — BOARD MEMBER
- ELEANOR HOLTZMAN — BOARD MEMBER
- ELISABETH LERNER — BOARD MEMBER
- JAMIE DEROY — BOARD MEMBER
- JANET B ROSEN — BOARD MEMBER
- JEREMY SMITH — BOARD MEMBER
- JIM KIERSTEAD — BOARD MEMBER
- Janet Reed Ahern — co-Founder
- KATE HAMILL — BOARD MEMBER
- LYNNE HALLIDAY — Board member
- MARY BORBA — Treasurer
- MARY SUSNJARA — BOARD MEMBER
- MICHELLE SIX — BOARD MEMBER
- Marla Persky — President
- ROBERT R WALTHER MD — BOARD MEMBER
- SARAH STEINBERG — SECRETARY
- SHIREEN A BARDAY — Vice President
relationships · 49
Who they work with
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Co-presented theatrical productions including "Laowang" and "Calf Scramble" at their venue.
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Collaborates on membership registration and ticketing services for Madison Avenue, Park Avenue, and Young Patron programs.
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Collaborates with 59E59 Theaters for ticketing and account management services.
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Primary Stages is the Resident Off-Broadway Theater Company at 59E59 Theaters, where it produces its Mainstage Season.
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Primary Stages is the Resident Off-Broadway Theater Company at 59E59 Theaters, which handles membership bookings.
- 59E59 Theaters Partner — Primary Stages produces its performances at 59E59 Theaters, a shared venue and operational partner.
- Actors’ Equity Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level.
- Booth Ferris Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $50,000 and above level.
- CAATA Partner — Collaborated with CAATA (Consortium of Asian American Theater Artists) for an API Community Night and post-show talkback.
- Concord Theatricals Partner — Hosts information about the Playwrights Welcome program and collaborates on its implementation.
- Dr. Scholl Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $5,000–$9,999 level.
- Dramatic Publishing Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
- Dramatists Guild of America Partner — Collaborates to provide free theater access to playwrights through the Playwrights Welcome program.
- Dramatists Play Service Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
- Einhorn School of Performing Arts Partner — Collaborates with ESPA to offer multidisciplinary theater education classes in writing, acting, and directing.
- Erica Raven-Scorza Partner — Contact person for group sales and private talkback coordination
- Francena T. Harrison Foundation Trust Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $5,000–$9,999 level.
- Kanebridge Corporation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level.
- LIC Creative Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level, including a gift to the 2023 Primary Stages Gala.
- Laurents/Hatcher Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $50,000 and above level.
- Music Theatre International Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
- New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Government — Public funder supporting the Primary Stages season through public funds in partnership with the City Council.
- New York State Council on the Arts Government — Public funder supporting the Primary Stages season with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
- OrbiMed Advisors Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level.
- Playscripts Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
- Richenthal Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $5,000–$9,999 level.
- Robert H. & Elizabeth Fergus Foundation Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level.
- Rodgers and Hammerstein Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
- SAG-AFTRA Funder — Institutional donor supporting Primary Stages at the $1,000–$4,999 level.
- Samuel French Partner — Co-developed the Playwrights Welcome program to offer free theater access to playwrights.
+ 19 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Artistic Community as a Development Enginemethodology: artist community buildingBy fostering collaboration, mentorship, and community across career stages, we enhance artistic growth and sustainability, because peer and intergenerational support systems are critical to long-term artist resilience and creative risk-taking.
- Classics Reimagined for Contemporary Social Impactmethodology: adaptation-of-classics-for-social-commentaryBy adapting classic narratives to address current social issues such as gentrification in Chinese American communities, we make theater a vehicle for cultural reflection and dialogue, because recontextualizing familiar stories increases their relevance and critical engagement.
- Collaborative New Play Development Modelmethodology: new_play_development_programBy using structured programs like the Liff Lab to support the creation and refinement of original works, we increase the pipeline of high-quality new plays, because dedicated developmental space accelerates artistic innovation and production readiness.
- Playwright-Centered Artistic Developmentmethodology: playwright-centered developmentBy providing sustained support, mentorship, and development opportunities to playwrights—both emerging and established—we strengthen the future of American theater and diversify the theatrical canon, because nurturing individual artistic vision is essential to generative, long-term field advancement.