Mission

Proto-type Theater is a company of multi-disciplinary artists interested in live performance. Creating original works that are diverse in scale, subject and medium, Proto-type is currently exploring the distributed narrative, city as source/site and the nature of love and death. Proto-type’s work is demanding and intricately crafted to create experiences for a diverse audience of intelligent, modern humans.

History:

Proto-type Theater has been producing work since 1997, in New York City, San Francisco, North Carolina, the Netherlands, Scotland, Russia, China, Korea and most recently in England. Critics have called our work “beautifully crafted stuff that has a broader relevance and audience than a traditional theatre company based in one city could manage” (Tina Jackson of the Metro, Manchester) and have said that we are “one of the more adventurous, innovative and worthy cutting-edge groups that I know of” (Martin Denton on nytheatre.com). The critical praise for our work has been matched by a series of commissions from Nuffield Theatre Lancaster, Soho Theatre (London), Performance Space 122 (NYC) and Dixon Place (NYC); residencies at the School of Art and New Media (Scarborough), Battersea Arts Centre (BAC), Lanternhouse International, the Field and Richard Foreman’s Ontological Theatre; and by the support of a large and loyal audience.

As of 2006, Proto-type has been located in Lancaster as a result of our Artistic Director’s move to the north of England. In 2007, we created Whisper at the CCA Glasgow and Nuffield Theatre Lancaster as our first-ever production created entirely in the UK with British performers. Whisper went on to have a successful national tour supported by Arts Council England, which paved the way for Proto-type to develop a more substantial presence in England. David Micklem, BAC’s co-Artistic Director called Whisper “a remarkable piece of work” and said that it is “exactly the kind of work BAC is proud to support.” After creating Whisper, Proto-type developed another critically and popularly acclaimed work called Virtuoso (working title) with support from Arts Council England, Nuffield Theatre Lancaster, the Bluecoat and Lanternhouse International. Virtuoso (working title) has toured throughout the UK where it was called “an exhilarating theatrical experience” by Total Theatre. Proto-type’s newest piece Third Person (redux) has recently opened at Nuffield Theatre Lancaster and will tour in the summer/autumn 2010.

Proto-type is a member of New Work Network, IETM (the informal european theatre meeting), PANDA, are included on LanWest.org as a company whose work has been endorsed by presenters from the North West, and are featured in the British Council’s Performance in Profile 2009 and 2010.

In the time since our formation, we have created: FRACK TO BUNT (1996, 1997) performed at 111 Minna (SF) and NYU, POOR ANGELS (1999), BUNNY'S LAST NIGHT IN LIMBO (2000 and 2001), THE TWILIGHT SERIES (2001) which were performed at HERE Arts Center, CHEAP THRILLS (2002, 2003) which was performed at HERE Arts Center, as a reading at New York Theatre Workshop and as a workshop at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, THREE RING (2003, 2004) which was performed at HERE Arts Center, Walkerspace and at the Sibiu International Theater Festival in Romania, ABOUT SILENCE (2003, 2004) which was performed at One Arm Red and Dixon Place, MUSEUM OF DREAMS (2004, 2005) which was performed at Chashama, THIRD PERSON (2005) which was performed at the Brick Theater in Brooklyn, APOSTASY (2005) which was commissioned by Dixon Place, INVISIBLE MESSAGES (2006) which was commissioned by PS122 and WHISPER (2007) which was developed through a residency at the CCA Glasgow and at the Nuffield Theatre Lancaster (UK), VIRTUOSO (WORKING TITLE) which was developed at the National Creation Centre (Ulverston), Nuffield Theatre Lancaster and the Bluecoat Liverpool, and THIRD PERSON (REDUX) which was developed at Battersea Arts Centre London and the Storey Creative Industries Centre Lancaster. WHISPER. VIRTUOSO and THIRD PERSON (REDUX) have both toured throughout England. WHISPER has toured to the US.

Company Members:

Rachel Baynton, Gillian Lees, Peter S Petralia (Artistic Director), and Andrew Westerside.

Associate Members:

Rebecca M. K. Makus and David McBride.

Collaborators:

Alice Booth, Stacey Carlson, Mandy Caughey, Lu Chekowsky, Max Duykers, Mark Esaias, Nicola Hobday, Mikeah Jennings, Glenn Kessler, Margie Lempert, Charley Layton, Alessandro Magania, Thomas Pilutik, Meredith Smart and Carlton Ward.

UK Advisory Board Members:

Tamsin Drury, Gavin Fowler, Vallejo Gantner, Jill Godfrey, Kristin Marting, Nina Steiger, and Lisa Wesley.

US Board Members:

Fred Martens, Karen Kimbrough, Peter S Petralia, Thomas Pilutik.

Proto-type Theater is based in Lancaster, UK and Brooklyn, NY and we make original theater and media work that tours internationally. This page includes a brief history of the company, contact details and links to company member profiles.

Company