About Us
Theater has long been considered a male pursuit, particularly when it comes to leadership. Shakespeare, who is still considered the most influential playwright ever, wrote during an age when women were not permitted to perform. Throughout the centuries, women writers have not been offered the same publishing opportunities as men. Theater has been saturated with male voices. Plays often focus on the struggles men face; female characters are secondary. The result is fewer roles for women, and even fewer roles of significance. The 1990s offered a dramatic influx of female voices to the stage. The male standbys were replaced by progressive women willing to explore theater in a revolutionary way. We wish to celebrate these trailblazers and pledge to bring new female voices to the forefront. Theater is part of our past and embedded in our culture. We believe it has remarkable power to affect change in the human spirit. Theater is alive. The audience participates in a way that is unique to any art form. For two hours, a room full of people dedicate themselves to listening to a story of the human experience. Sometimes an audience will walk away changed with a new set of ideas, and sometimes they will walk away upset, completely disagreeing with the playwright's point of view. Either way, the performance has provoked emotion. This is how theater is meant to function. In the past, the Strand has produced 16 full length plays, all Baltimore premieres. We have also held 6-week festivals of new works from local artist. In addition, we have supported numerous small companies and performers by gifting our space. We have served nearly 6,000 patrons and offered 75% of all opportunities within our theater to women. The Strand dedicates itself to throwing out the book of old conventions. Our productions bear relevance in today's world. We seek to equalize the balance of power in society with more roles for women artists: as actors, playwrights, directors, designers, and managers in the Baltimore community and beyond. |
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Strand History
In 2007, Baltimore theater director Jayme Kilburn was approached by a local property owner Joy Martin about starting a theater in the dilapidated row home at 1823 North Charles Street. Jayme quickly agreed and jumped at the chance to produce socially significant plays in the community she loved. Jayme named the theater the Strand, became the first Artistic Director, and enlisted two like-minded women, Sarah Curnoles and Alison Buckley, to sit on the Strand Theater Board of Directors.
After many renovations the first Open House took place on April 20, 2008 and served as the Strand’s first fundraiser. The first production at the Strand was Tim Paggi’s Nonstop Realism and was part of the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival. With no budget to speak of, the Strand produced only new plays the first season, including works by local authors.
With season one under the Strand’s belt, and growing board, and increased donor support allowed the theater to produce published plays. Season two also marked the inaugural Friends and Neighbors Festival, which was a festival of new works facilitated by Jayme. The Friends and Neighbors Festival procured the Strand’s first MSAC neighborhood grant, which would open the door for general operating support to come. The Strand’s third season marked the introduction of an all-female playwright season, which would continue through Jayme’s tenure as Artistic Director. Although the mission of the Strand was always to provide opportunities to women artists, Jayme felt compelled to pursue the mission with much more vigor when a highly misogynist playwright was proposed for Season 3; a wake-up call as to the need for a female-centric production house.
Since its first inception, the Strand was built by and for the community. The Strand has relied heavily on support from its neighbors including Terry Kinney, Aaron Heinsman, Michael Tan, and FUZZ Roark; who have donated everything from seat cushions to computers to valuable time. Every actor who has graced the stage has also helped create sets and served to promote the theater. The community of artists the Strand has worked with helps inform the types of plays produced at the Strand, always with a focus on highlighting underrepresented voices. The Strand offers accessible and affordable space for young artists and has fostered the careers of many local playwrights, actors, and directors. The Strand has always been proud of its status as a “community” theater.
After many renovations the first Open House took place on April 20, 2008 and served as the Strand’s first fundraiser. The first production at the Strand was Tim Paggi’s Nonstop Realism and was part of the Baltimore Playwright’s Festival. With no budget to speak of, the Strand produced only new plays the first season, including works by local authors.
With season one under the Strand’s belt, and growing board, and increased donor support allowed the theater to produce published plays. Season two also marked the inaugural Friends and Neighbors Festival, which was a festival of new works facilitated by Jayme. The Friends and Neighbors Festival procured the Strand’s first MSAC neighborhood grant, which would open the door for general operating support to come. The Strand’s third season marked the introduction of an all-female playwright season, which would continue through Jayme’s tenure as Artistic Director. Although the mission of the Strand was always to provide opportunities to women artists, Jayme felt compelled to pursue the mission with much more vigor when a highly misogynist playwright was proposed for Season 3; a wake-up call as to the need for a female-centric production house.
Since its first inception, the Strand was built by and for the community. The Strand has relied heavily on support from its neighbors including Terry Kinney, Aaron Heinsman, Michael Tan, and FUZZ Roark; who have donated everything from seat cushions to computers to valuable time. Every actor who has graced the stage has also helped create sets and served to promote the theater. The community of artists the Strand has worked with helps inform the types of plays produced at the Strand, always with a focus on highlighting underrepresented voices. The Strand offers accessible and affordable space for young artists and has fostered the careers of many local playwrights, actors, and directors. The Strand has always been proud of its status as a “community” theater.