A theatre company generated by and for the entirety of our rich, diverse community.

Third Culture Theatre was founded in Los Angeles as a way to cultivate work which tells the stories of traditionally marginalized and unheard persons. Theatre is naturally tied to the communities which it exists within; by proximity, by space, by mutual support, and above all, by listening and openly communicating with each other. We bring stories to the stage of those who rarely see themselves represented. We are interested in bringing the marginalized to the center, not only because we believe it to be essential or because we have found ourselves at this periphery–although both are true–but also because we believe the fabric of theatre is the product of the world around it; theatre is a space to build community and unite people of radically divergent backgrounds.

WHAT IS THIRD CULTURE? 

Third culture is a sociological term which refers to people who grew up in a culture separate from that of their parent’s nationality, and the nationality of their birth. The “third culture” refers to the cultural hybrid which is formed from these separate influences, something which enables third culture peoples to adapt and embrace the unique role they hold in any society.

At Third Culture Theatre, we unite our artists and company culture with that of our audience and larger community to form a new, mutual (Third) culture where we learn and grow. This “Third Culture” allows us to expand, reflect, challenge, and evolve together.

ON MATERIAL

All of our productions create space for those who have frequently been denied it, either by promoting new works which tell the stories of peoples who have been traditionally marginalized, or by taking radical approaches to canonical pieces which allow for new interpretations to give voice to those who were originally denied access to these texts. We believe in inviting artists and audiences of all experiences to build conversation through storytelling.

ON ECONOMICS

We have two economic goals. 

First, to make our art accessible to the communities we serve. Because our work is tied to communities that have often been denied means of traditional wealth building, making sure our productions are available to people across the economic spectrum is a crucial part of our goals. In addition to offering affordable ticket prices, we include a “Pay What You Can” show for every production, which invites the audience to set their own price so as to eliminate finances as a deterrent from seeing theatre. 

Second, to pay those who helped bring this work to life. We know all artists deserve compensation, and without this are unable to continue working. Art is valuable but costly to create. It requires people, space, physical materials, and hundreds of hours in time to make every show we produce. This is to say nothing of the countless hours and dollars artists spend honing their craft and learning skills to make high quality art. We believe it essential that all of our artists are paid for their work. 

ON CASTING

We are dedicated to producing dynamic plays which feature exceptional performers. We recognize how often wonderful actors are relegated to stereotypes or are excluded from the theatre based on their identities. For this reason, we focus on plays which allow us to represent and give voice to actors of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our plays always feature strong roles for performers who have been traditionally marginalized or excluded from the stage.