New Classics Initiative

Antaeus Theatre Company’s New Classics Initiative (NCI) nurtures new play development through our Playwrights Lab and NEXT Commissions. NCI exemplifies our commitment to broadening the scope of classical theater and supporting cultural equity and inclusion.

As an artist-driven theater company, we believe in the power and importance of storytellers. They are the architects of culture and windows to our history. Great theater demands a multiplicity of voices sharing vast and varying ideas and perspectives. The purpose of NCI is to nurture an inclusive generation of writers and support the creation of extraordinary new plays that will stand the test of time.

We have developed this initiative as a complement to our longstanding programming, in order to address the limitations around what is generally considered part of the classical canon. We are looking to NCI as an important source for future season programming. By presenting this work as equal in artistic value to our ongoing classics programming, we aspire to uplift a more inclusive definition of what classical theater can be. Through these programs, we continue to nurture a more diverse and equitable arts ecosystem, providing resources to help develop compelling, timeless works of theater.