1971–1992
Philip Arnoult
Founder
Built the venue, the model, and Baltimore's connection to international theatre. Theatre of Nations 1986 happened on his watch.
Theatre Project · Est. 1971
Half a century of saying yes to the next thing.
Started with a hat. Hosted Pilobolus, Bread and Puppet, and the only North American Theatre of Nations Festival. Still here.
1971
The founding
Philip Arnoult opens a theatre in Baltimore where no tickets are sold. After every performance, a hat is passed. Audiences put in what they think the work is worth. The press starts calling it "Baltimore's Free Theatre."
Founder · Philip Arnoult · 1971–1992
The major moments
A timeline of yes.
1971 — The Early Years
Pass the hat, host the legends.
The early seasons bring Pilobolus Dance Theater, Urban Bush Women, and Bread and Puppet Theatre to Baltimore. Outreach programs like the Baltimore Neighborhood Arts Circus and Baltimore Voices extend the work into the community.
1976–1979
The TNT Festivals.
Theatre Project co-produces The New Theatre (TNT) Festivals at UMBC and downtown Baltimore. The festivals position the venue as a serious player in experimental presenting beyond Baltimore's city limits.
Singular moment
1986
The only North American Theatre of Nations.
Baltimore is selected as the site of the International Theatre Institute's biennial Theatre of Nations Festival — the prestigious global gathering's only North American location, ever. Theatre Project is the reason.
1983–1984
The black box gets its bones.
Major restructuring renovates the historic 45 West Preston Street building. The result: a 33-by-35-foot sprung wood floor, the original 20-foot acoustic dome preserved overhead, and 150 seats.
1992
Mrozek takes the wheel.
Robert Mrozek becomes director. Over his tenure the stage hosts solo performance and devised work from artists who would shape American performance for decades.
Mrozek-era artists at BTPKaren
Finley · Danny Hoch · Holly Hughes · James Magruder · Daniel McIvor (da da kamera) · Squonk Opera · David
Drake
1994
The chairlifts go in.
Chair lifts are installed, bringing the historic building into ADA accessibility. The black box stays a black box; the door opens wider.
2001
Fulwiler steadies the ship.
Board member and former employee Anne Cantler Fulwiler becomes director. Under her direction, Theatre Project sustains its artistic reputation, expands community outreach, and improves financial stability.
2011–2012
40th anniversary. The hat returns.
Theatre Project marks 40 years with a new membership program — and a "pass the hat" performance of every show in the season, in honor of how the doors first opened.
July 2012 — Today
Pfingsten and the present era.
Chris Pfingsten becomes Producing Director. Operating scale today: 200+ performances and related events per year — serving 12,000+ patrons and 700+ artists annually.
Five decades, four leaders
The people who kept the doors open.
Four directors have led Theatre Project through fifty-plus years. Each inherited a building, a mission, and a balance sheet — and handed something larger to the next person.
1992–2001
Robert Mrozek
Director
Brought solo performance and devised theatre to Baltimore. Karen Finley, Danny Hoch, David Drake, Squonk Opera all on his stage.
2001–2012
Anne Cantler Fulwiler
Director
Stewarded the financial stability, expanded community work, and led the organization to its 40th anniversary.
2012–Present
Chris Pfingsten
Producing Director
Scaled the operation to 200+ events per year and built out the current resident-artist roster.
The roll call
Artists who started here, played here, premiered here.
Some of these names you'll know. Some you'll know in five years. That's the whole idea.
Pilobolus Dance Theater·
Urban Bush Women·
Bread and Puppet Theatre·
Karen Finley·
Danny Hoch·
Holly Hughes·
James Magruder·
Daniel McIvor·
Squonk Opera·
David Drake·
da da kamera·
Alex & Olmsted·
Iron Crow Theatre·
Happenstance Theater·
Deep Vision·
VTDance·
High Zero Festival·
IN Series·
Peabody Chamber Opera
The black box, in numbers
A historic building tuned for contemporary work.
150
Seats
33×35
Sprung wood floor (feet)
20'
Original acoustic dome overhead
ADA
Accessible since 1994
The next chapter is whatever you sit down for. Come help us write it.
See What's NextALTERNATIVE STYLE BELOW
Theatre Project · Est. 1971
Half a century of saying yes to the next thing.
Started with a hat. Hosted Pilobolus, Bread and Puppet, and the only North American Theatre of Nations Festival. Still here.
1971
The founding
Philip Arnoult opens a theatre in Baltimore where no tickets are sold. After every performance, a hat is passed. Audiences put in what they think the work is worth. The press starts calling it "Baltimore's Free Theatre."
Founder · Philip Arnoult · 1971–1992
The major moments
A timeline of yes.
1971 — The Early Years
Pass the hat, host the legends.
The early seasons bring Pilobolus Dance Theater, Urban Bush Women, and Bread and Puppet Theatre to Baltimore. Outreach programs like the Baltimore Neighborhood Arts Circus and Baltimore Voices extend the work into the community. The hat-passing model earns the theatre its nickname and its identity.
1976–1979
The TNT Festivals.
Theatre Project co-produces The New Theatre (TNT) Festivals at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and downtown Baltimore. The festivals position the venue as a serious player in experimental presenting beyond Baltimore's city limits.
Singular moment
1986
The only North American Theatre of Nations.
Baltimore is selected as the site of the International Theatre Institute's biennial Theatre of Nations Festival — the prestigious global gathering's only North American location, ever. Theatre Project is the reason. The selection cements Arnoult's work as a force in international theatre.
1983–1984
The black box gets its bones.
Major restructuring renovates the historic 45 West Preston Street building. The result: a 33-by-35-foot sprung wood floor, the original 20-foot acoustic dome preserved overhead, and 150 seats — every one of them with an unobstructed view. The black box that exists today.
1992
Mrozek takes the wheel.
Robert Mrozek becomes director. Over his tenure the stage hosts solo performance and devised work from artists who would shape American performance for decades — and, in many cases, premiere new work in Baltimore first.
Mrozek-era artists at BTP
Karen Finley · Danny Hoch · Holly Hughes · James Magruder · Daniel McIvor (da da kamera) · Squonk Opera · David Drake (premiering The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me)
1994
The chairlifts go in.
Chair lifts are installed, bringing the historic building into ADA accessibility. The black box stays a black box; the door opens wider.
2001
Fulwiler steadies the ship.
Board member and former employee Anne Cantler Fulwiler becomes director. Under her direction, Theatre Project sustains its artistic reputation, expands community outreach, and improves financial stability — the unsexy work that lets a 30-year-old presenting venue keep saying yes.
2011–2012
40th anniversary. The hat returns.
Theatre Project marks 40 years with a new membership program — and a "pass the hat" performance of every show in the season, in honor of how the doors first opened. Forty years on, the radical idea is still the same: make the work first, figure out the rest.
July 2012 — Today
Pfingsten and the present era.
Chris Pfingsten becomes Producing Director. Operating scale today: 200+ performances and related events per year — workshops, classes, post-show discussions, gallery receptions — serving 12,000+ patrons and 700+ artists annually. The present-day roster of resident companies takes shape: Alex & Olmsted, Iron Crow, Happenstance, Deep Vision, VTDance, High Zero, IN Series, Peabody Chamber Opera.
Five decades, four leaders
The people who kept the doors open.
Four directors have led Theatre Project through fifty-plus years. Each inherited a building, a mission, and a balance sheet — and handed something larger to the next person.
1971–1992
Philip Arnoult
Founder
Built the venue, the model, and Baltimore's connection to international theatre. Theatre of Nations 1986 happened on his watch.
1992–2001
Robert Mrozek
Director
Brought solo performance and devised theatre to Baltimore. Karen Finley, Danny Hoch, David Drake, Squonk Opera all on his stage.
2001–2012
Anne Cantler Fulwiler
Director
Stewarded the financial stability, expanded community work, and led the organization to its 40th anniversary.
2012–Present
Chris Pfingsten
Producing Director
Scaled the operation to 200+ events per year and built out the current resident-artist roster.
The roll call
Artists who started here, played here, premiered here.
Some of these names you'll know. Some you'll know in five years. That's the whole idea.
Pilobolus Dance Theater
·
Urban Bush Women
·
Bread and Puppet Theatre
·
Karen Finley
·
Danny Hoch
·
Holly Hughes
·
James Magruder
·
Daniel McIvor
·
Squonk Opera
·
David Drake
·
da da kamera
·
Alex & Olmsted
·
Iron Crow Theatre
·
Happenstance Theater
·
Deep Vision
·
VTDance
·
High Zero Festival
·
IN Series
·
Peabody Chamber Opera
The black box, in numbers
A historic building tuned for contemporary work.
150
Seats — every one with an unobstructed view
33×35
Sprung wood floor (feet)
20'
Original acoustic dome overhead
ADA
Accessible since 1994
The next chapter is whatever you sit down for. Come help us write it.
See What's NextTheatre Project’s History
The Early Years
Theatre Project was founded by Philip Arnoult in 1971. The early years hosted presentations of artists such as Pilobolus Dance Theater, Urban Bush Women and Bread and Puppet Theatre, as well as community outreach programs such as the Baltimore Neighborhood Arts Circus and Baltimore Voices. Known as “Baltimore’s Free Theatre,” no tickets were sold; after performances a hat was passed for audience members to donate to the artists and theatre.
A Force in International Theatre
Arnoult established Theatre Project and Baltimore as a factor on the international theater scene, and increasingly Theatre Project became known for a dynamic mix of experimental national and international presentations. Theatre Project was a co-producer of The New Theatre (TNT) Festivals at University of Maryland Baltimore County and in downtown Baltimore (1976-1979). The theater was crucial to the selection of Baltimore as the 1986 site of the prestigious International Theatre Institute’s biennial Theatre of Nations Festival, the festival’s only North American location.
Major Renovations
In 1983-84, Theatre Project underwent an extensive restructuring that included the renovation of its historic 45 West Preston Street home. The resulting space, a dynamic example of creative adaptation, is an exemplary blackbox facility with a sprung wood floor measuring 33’x35′, backed by the original 20′ acoustic dome. There are 150 seats, all with unobstructed views. In 1994, Theatre Project again modernized its facility with the addition of chair lifts providing ADA accessibility.
The Recent Years
In 1992, Theatre Project came under the direction of Robert Mrozek. During his tenure, artists like Karen Finley; Danny Hoch; Holly Hughes; James Magruder; da da kamera’s Daniel McIvor; Squonk Opera; and David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) developed and/or premiered work at Theatre Project. In the fall of 2001, Anne Cantler Fulwiler, a board member and former employee, became the theatre’s director. Under her direction, Theatre Project has continued its reputation for outstanding artistic quality, increased community outreach, and improved its financial stability. Theatre Project celebrated its 40th Anniversary during the 2011-2012 season with a new membership program and a “pass the hat” performance of each show in honor of Theatre Project’s history.
In July 2012, Chris Pfingsten became Producing Director, continuing the great work done by his predecessors, hosting more than 200 performances and related activities including workshops and classes, post-show discussions, and gallery receptions, serving 12,000 or more patrons and 700+ artists each year.