Grantee Database
IAMA THEATRE COMPANY
Grant Year
2025-26
Grant Program
General Operating Support
Award Amount
$13,200.00
Project Description
With support from the California Arts Council, IAMA THEATRE COMPANY will sustain its innovative and inclusive new play development programs and expand its community outreach throughout Los Angeles. Funds will be used to offset increased rental and operation costs, pay artists and staff a living wage, and invest in more accessibility and audience engagement services that will increase our impact, with a focus on providing more free and low-cost performances, culturally responsive community events, and student scholarships. Our 2025/2026 season will include: the creation and presentation of 1 World Premiere mainstage production; our annual New Works Festival, featuring 8 new plays by L.A. based playwrights that engages over 50 local artists; 2 public, staged workshops of new plays by underrepresented writers; and our arts education platform, designed to support emerging artists from historically underserved communities.
Organization Summary
For 17 seasons, IAMA Theatre Company has produced over 40 World and West Coast Premieres of new plays for the American theater, and developed over 100 more through our unique, ensemble-driven work and collaborative, new play development process. In addition to our mainstage productions, we program a variety of theatrical events, community engagement initiatives, education programs, and development opportunities for L.A. based artists and audiences including:
• The IAMA New Works Festival, our leading new play development program that features an annual series of staged reading workshops, public presentations, and post-show community discussions.
• Pass The Mic, our annual play festival intended to amplify voices of the Global Majority and create a town-hall like discussion with artists and special guests, with proceeds going to an organization of choice.
• The IAMA Emerging Playwrights Lab, our annual, one-year development residency for six early-career, L.A. based playwrights.
• The Rhimes Unsung Voices Playwriting Commission, our annual commission sponsored by Shonda Rhimes and the Rhimes Foundation to support an underrepresented writer of color who has not yet had a play professionally produced.
• The FourthWall Musical Commission, our annual musical commission sponsored by FourthWall Theatrical to support the development of a new musical from inception to first workshop in a collaborative environment that is dedicated to elevating marginalized voices, identities, backgrounds, and stories.
• The IAMA Actors Summer Intensive, our annual education program offering scholarships for 32 early-mid career actors from historically underserved backgrounds, featuring master classes and workshops led by IAMA ensemble members and industry experts that focus on building the artistic muscles, creative community, and tangible skills necessary to work in a professional performing arts environment.
• IAMA Basecamp, our company’s internal artistic development program that includes the IAMA Playwrights Lab, the IAMA Directors Lab, and the IAMA Pilot Writing Lab.
Organization
IAMA Theatre Company
Address
3269 Casitas Avenue
Los Angeles
90039
County
Los Angeles
Region
South – Los Angeles & Orange
Phone
(917) 312-9282
Congressional District
30th Congressional District of California
State Assembly District
District 52
State Senate District
District 26
