named programs · 2 · from sources
What they call their work
Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed
Obie Award-winning theater piece exploring race, personal experience, and human connection through a fictional TV talk show format, co-created by David Neumann and Marcella Murray.
Primer for an Impossible Conversation
Virtual theater piece examining race, privilege, and science fiction through the lens of an Octavia Butler interview, continuing the conversation from "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed".
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Original Dance Performance Production 2 activities
- Creation and commissioning of original performance worksDevelops and premieres original theater and dance works, including the Obie Award-recognized "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed" and "Primer for an Impossible Conversation," often through co-commissions with institutions such as MCA Chicago and Wisconsin Union Theater. These works explore themes of race, privilege, science fiction, and cultural history.
- Providing choreography for external theater productionsCreates and provides choreography for major theater productions outside of its own performance series, including the Broadway production of HADESTOWN at the Walter Kerr Theater and the production of SWEPT AWAY at Berkeley Rep.
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Post-Performance Audience Engagement 1 activity
- Hosting audience engagement eventsOrganizes post-performance talkbacks and discussions with cultural figures, such as playwright Jacqueline Lawton, to deepen audience engagement with performance themes including race, history, and science fiction.
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Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Presentation of multidisciplinary dance and performance worksPresents cultural dance and multidisciplinary performances that feature diverse performers and performance backgrounds, aiming to build community and expose audiences to innovative forms of dance and theater. Performances include live and virtual presentations across venues such as Abrons Arts Center, Wisconsin Union Theater, and UW Madison.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conducting research residencies in performance artsEngages in long-term research initiatives, such as a 3-year research residency with Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, to support the development of innovative performance works.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2023
revenue
Total revenue$10K
Contributions & grants$4K43%
Program service revenue$6K57%
Investment income$40%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$27K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$8K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$37K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$37K
4 years on record · 2020–2023 · YoY revenue -82.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2023
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAVID NEUMANN | ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | 15 | $4K |
board members · 1
- SUE KILLAM — DIRECTOR
relationships · 19
Who they work with
- Abrons Arts Center Partner — Co-commissioned and co-presented the premiere of "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed."
- Abrons Arts Center Partner — Venue hosting the world premiere of "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed".
- Berkeley Rep Partner — Partnered for the production of SWEPT AWAY in 2021.
- Carolina Performing Arts Partner — Partner organization hosting a 3-year research residency and commissioning a new work from Advanced Beginner Group.
- Chocolate Factory Theater Partner — Co-commissioned and co-presented the premiere of "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed."
- David Neumann Partner — Co-creator of the work "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed".
- David and Leni Moore Foundation Funder — Provided major support for the co-commission of "Primer for an Impossible Conversation"
- David and Leni Moore Foundation Funder — Provided major support for the creation and presentation of "Primer for an Impossible Conversation".
- Jacqueline Lawton Partner — Collaborator and co-director of Southern Futures who participated in a talkback following a performance of _Primer for an Impossible Conversation_.
- MCA Chicago Partner — Co-commissioned "Primer for an Impossible Conversation"
- MCA Chicago Partner — Presented the performance piece "Primer for an Impossible Conversation" as part of its Annual Dialogue Series.
- Mabou Mines Partner — Associate producer for the premiere of "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed."
- Marcella Murray Partner — Co-creator of the work "Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed".
- Tei Blow Partner — Collaborator in the creation of the theater piece "Primer for an Impossible Conversation".
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Partner — Institutional host for the Southern Futures research residency program in collaboration with Carolina Performing Arts.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Partner — Presenting partner for "Primer" through Wisconsin Union Theater
- Walter Kerr Theater Partner — Collaborated on the production of HADESTOWN.
- Wisconsin Union Theater Partner — Co-presented and co-commissioned "Primer for an Impossible Conversation"
- Wisconsin Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Partner — Co-commissioned the performance piece "Primer for an Impossible Conversation".
strategies · 3
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.
- Dialogue-Driven Theatrical Co-Creationmethodology: dialogue-based_creationBy grounding theater works in sustained, long-term dialogue about race and personal experience, the organization produces authentic performances that reflect lived realities because the co-creation process between artists and communities ensures depth, trust, and representational integrity.
- Multidisciplinary Embodiment of Ideasmethodology: multi-disciplinary_performanceBy integrating theater, opera, film, dance, and choreography into a unified performance language, the organization articulates complex cultural ideas through the human body because diverse artistic forms together create richer, more accessible expressions of abstract or difficult themes.
- Performance as Inquiry into Systemic Inequitiesmethodology: performance-as-inquiryBy using performance art grounded in race, privilege, and science fiction as interpretive lenses, the organization engages audiences with painful histories and systemic inequities because these frameworks enable critical reflection and dialogue that traditional narratives may not reach.