Zipcar Theater: The Tacoma Theater Project as an Anchor for Audience Development

Abstract

As theater audiences decline society-wide, university theater programs have felt the impact, with many being cut back as institutions face difficult economic decisions. The Tacoma Theater Project at the University of Washington–Tacoma is an innovative effort to resist this trend. By working with professional theater groups in a partnership inspired by a collective insourcing model, the university uses its resources to support fringe theater groups in order to diversify and grow the local audience.