Our Company
“One of America’s Best Regional Theatres”
American Theatre Magazine
PlayMakers Repertory Company is North Carolina’s premiere professional theatre company, proudly in residence on the dynamic campus of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The LORT-D professional company was founded in 1976, growing out of a storied 100-year tradition of playmaking at Carolina. Our mission is to produce relevant, courageous work that tells stories from a multiplicity of perspectives. We believe that theatre can have a transformational impact on individuals and entire communities, and we are committed to making our work accessible to all.
PlayMakers produces five to ten shows on two stages each year at our home venue, the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art, bringing the transformative power of theatre to more than 50,000 audience members annually. At the very heart of the PlayMakers experience is one of the nation’s last remaining resident theatre companies, made up of accomplished performers, designers, artisans, and technicians, supported by exceptional graduate students in UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art. Our company works side by side with guest artists from all over the world and our alumni include Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winners.
Creating tomorrow’s classics, today
Producing Artistic Director Vivienne Benesch is continuing the PlayMakers tradition of producing vibrantly reimagined classics, large-scale musical theatre, and significant contemporary work, but is also broadening the theatre’s reach to become a home for new play development and a true hub of social and civic discourse in the region. Her first three seasons have already given life to six important new American plays.
Provoking Conversation
Our hugely popular PRC2 series is programmed to provoke thought, stimulate discussion, and push the boundaries of the theatrical form. Every PRC2 production in the intimate Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre is followed by an “Act 2” opportunity for direct, dynamic engagement between audiences, artists, and subject matter experts.
Theatre for the People
PlayMakers Mobile is an initiative that seeks to positively contribute to the civic and social life of our region by taking world-class theatre out of our building and into communities throughout North Carolina. We create a streamlined production of one classic play each year and take it to Title-1 schools, homeless shelters, and treatment facilities around the Greater Triangle area. It’s free of charge, since too often the people who can benefit from theatre the most are also the ones who don’t have access to it.
Where Theatre Lovers are Born
PlayMakers’ mainstage theatre is named after Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humanitarian, Paul Green. This magnificent 500-seat thrust stage immerses audiences in the action on stage, be it a beloved Broadway musical, William Shakespeare, or the newest of American theatre. The PGT, as it is affectionately known, was built in 1976, and has introduced over three generations of North Carolinians to the magic of theatre.
A Hub of Engagement
Beyond being the region’s go-to for dynamic and entertaining stories, PlayMakers is a home for memorable conversations that allow us to make connections with the work and with each other, well beyond the experience of a production itself. In the Wings, Vision Series, and a host of other pre- and post-show discussions and unique engagement opportunities enrich our audience’s experience of the live arts.
Passing the Torch
PlayMakers’ award-winning Summer Youth Conservatory is the only professionally-supported training program of its kind in the region. The Theatre Quest program provides classes to area middle school students, while the Theatre Intensive and Theatre Tech programs allow Triangle high-schoolers to apprentice directly with professional directors, choreographers, musical directors, and technicians, culminating in a professional-quality production on the PlayMakers mainstage for the whole community to enjoy.
Eliminating Barriers
With a commitment to eliminating barriers for attendance, PlayMakers offers All Access performances for our patrons living with disabilities, Community Nights where all tickets are just $15, and tickets reduced to just $10 for UNC students and $12 for all other students. Our Spotlight on Service program also offers complimentary tickets to local service organizations.