The Marsh: A Breeding Ground for New Performance

The Marsh: a breeding ground for new performance was founded in 1989 to provide solo theater artists with an intimate performance venue and an environment that allows them the freedom to experiment and create new work. The company produces and presents nearly 400 performances a year at two theater spaces in its San Francisco Mission District complex. The Marsh, like fellow San Francisco Hewlett grantees Z Space and the Exit Theater focuses on the development of new talent and new work – its specialty is in producing solo shows including the 2007 Will Glickman award winner for Best Bay Area new play Tings Dey Happen by Danny Hoyle. On an $800,000 annual budget the Marsh runs a year round youth theater program involving 400 students from 35 Bay Area schools. The organization generates over 60% of its income through ticket sales and tuition fees for the youth programs and solo performance workshops. With ongoing general operating support will continue its artist training programs, expand its Marsh Rising emerging artist series and develop organizational capacity to increase individual donor support.