Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

Rattlestick Playwrights Theater is a non-profit off-Broadway theater based in the West Village, New York.

In 2014, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and Lucy Thurber received a special citation from the Obie Award presented by the American Theater Wing for their collaboration on Thurber's cycle Hill Town Plays.^[1]

History[]

Founded in 1994, the company is currently housed in a 104-seat venue at 224 Waverly Place in the West Village.^[2] Beginning with Jesse Eisenberg's Asuncion in its 17th Season, Rattlestick also began producing a portion of each of its seasons at the Cherry Lane Theatre.^[3]

In accordance with its focus on nurturing the work of individual writers, Rattlestick has developed on-going relationships with several previously produced playwrights, including Lucy Thurber, Stephen Belber, Adam Rapp, Craig Wright, Craig Lucas, and Jesse Eisenberg.^[4]

Rattlestick West[]

While working on a play at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2014, Scott Haze and James Franco decided to join forces with David Van Asselt, Artistic Director of Rattlestick, to create Rattlestick West. Rattlestick, known for its work with emerging American artists, has produced over 90 world premieres in its 20-year history. Haze, founder of The Sherry Theater in Los Angeles, brought in his producing partner Lukas Behnken and the Sherry team with over 10 years of doing theater in LA to form this new bi-coastal collective.

The mission: seek out unique new voices, work with new and emerging playwrights, establish a home where playwrights have the ability to work with actors to explore and hone their art. More than that, we are looking to create an environment where all kinds of discovery becomes possible, through stage, film and innovative media, where the borders of art collide, and inspiration can thrive.

In this coming season Rattlestick West will produce five plays at the Sherry Theater, including works by Scott Caan, Daniel Talbott, and a chamber musical with songs co-written by Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik to a script of Ms. Vega's based on Carson McCullers’ life.

Rattlestick is also co-producing with the Boston Court Theatre, Seven Spots on The Sun by Martín Zimmerman, at the Boston Court in Pasadena.^[5]