• The mission of Theatre of the Poor is to support the growth and development of the theatre arts in Natrona County by producing classic plays in low budget productions with little to no cost to the public;
• To increase participation in the performing arts among Natrona County residents by encouraging participation in productions, classes, and workshops regardless of past experience or ability to pay;
• To collaborate with various community partners to bring performances to outdoor venues, found spaces, neglected locations, and communities underserved generally by the arts. 

Our Vision

• The Vision of Theatre of the Poor is directed toward professionalization through compensation for performers;
• an expansion of our resident ensemble (The Grex) across generation, race, and gender;
• increasing awareness of, demand for, and performance of the greatest plays of world theatre;
• and the establishment of a program that makes theatre education and actor training available to all at little to no cost.

Our Models

Under the artistic direction of Dr. William Conte, the Theatre of the Poor is dedicated to the cultivation of the next generation of theatre artists. We are committed to providing young theatre artists with the opportunity to find their voice, expand their skill set, explore a different approach to theatre and production, and participate in an apprenticeship model of theatre training. Dr. Conte conducts classes on theatre history and dramatic literature, as well as acting workshops. Our goal is to inject theatre directly into the community in new and unexpected ways, challenging everyone’s preconceptions of what theatre is or should be.

Inspired by Jerzy Grotowski’s manifesto, “Toward a Poor Theatre,” we endeavor to return the theatre to its roots in the environment, replacing purchased spectacle and artifice with the simplicity and immediacy of the found space in which we are performing. Combined with G.I. Gurdjieff’s ideas of objective art and “work on oneself,” the company produces ensemble oriented work grounded in the “Fifth Way,” an alternative approach to actor training and personal development.