About the Indiana Repertory Theatre

Since the Indiana Repertory Theatre was founded in 1972, it has grown into one of the leading regional theatres in the country, as well as one of the top-flight cultural institutions in the city and state. In 1991 Indiana’s General Assembly designated the IRT as “Theatre Laureate” of the state of Indiana. The IRT’s national reputation has been confirmed by prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lila Wallace–Reader’s Digest Fund, the Theatre Communications Group–Pew Charitable Trusts, the Shubert Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation, and by a Joyce Award from the Joyce Foundation.

The IRT is Indiana's leading professional resident not-for-profit theatre, providing 124,700 live professional theatre experiences for its audience last season. These experiences included 49,300 students and teachers from 60 of Indiana’s 92 counties, making the IRT one of the most youth-oriented professional theatres in the country. A staff of more than 100 seasonal and year-round employees creates ten productions exclusively for Indiana audiences. Actors, directors and designers are members of professional stage unions.

The IRT’s history has been enacted in two historic downtown theatres. The Athenaeum Turners Building housed the company’s first eight seasons. Since 1980 the IRT has occupied the 1927 Indiana Theatre, which was renovated to contain three performance spaces (Mainstage, Upperstage and Cabaret) and work spaces, reviving this historic downtown entertainment site. The company has recently renovated the Upperstage, the Cabaret, the Grand Lobby, and the Mainstage, completing a five-year project to upgrade the IRT’s audience support services as well as its theatrical production equipment. This season, the IRT will complete renovations of its lobby and lower floor through its StreetFront Project, supported by Lilly Endowment.

To keep ticket prices and services affordable for the entire community, the IRT operates as a not-for-profit organization, deriving more than one third of its operating income from contributions. The theatre is generously supported by foundations, corporations, and individuals, an investment which recognizes the IRT’s mission-based commitment to serving Central Indiana with top-quality theatrical fare.

Programs

OneAmerica Series
Includes nine diverse plays from the classical and contemporary repertoires. See Shows and Tickets

Student Matinees
The IRT continues a long-time commitment to student and family audiences with selected matinee performances for all IRT productions, including auxilliary educational activities and curricular support materials. Two curricula-based productions are especially selected for Indiana students. See Students and Educators.

Meet the Artists
Pre-show Prologue talks before most performances, plus regularly scheduled post-show discussions and Sunday Tea Talks, offer audiences unique insights into each production.

Educational Programs
Auxiliary services offered include visiting artists-in-the-classroom, study guides, pre- and post-show discussions and guided tours of the IRT’s facilities.

Classes
Whether it’s acting classes (from beginner to professional levels) or a reader’s seminar on understanding Shakespeare, the IRT offers a wide array of personal learning opportunities for adults and youth. Call 916-4842 for further information.

New Play Development
The IRT hosts the Bonderman Symposium, a prestigious biennial national workshop for adult playwrights writing for young audiences; and Young Playwrights in Process (YPiP), an annual playwrighting contest and workshop for Central Indiana high school and junior high students.

Community Gathering Place
Located in a beautiful historic landmark, the IRT offers a wide variety of unique and adaptable spaces for family, business and community gatherings of all types. Call Katy Hansen at 916-4880 for information. See Event Planning.