About
About Renaissance Theaterworks
Renaissance Theaterworks is a professional theater company founded and run by women. Since 1993, it has been dedicated to promoting the work of women, onstage and off, becoming a leader in the global movement toward gender equity in the arts. Renaissance Theaterworks creates provocative, courageous theater, connecting audiences with their shared sense of being human, making them feel more, think harder, and laugh louder.
Why RTW?
Recognizing a gender imbalance within professional theater, Renaissance Theaterworks was founded in 1993 to actively promote the careers of women onstage and off.
Board
Meet the community leaders who guide our work.
Staff
Meet our talented and committed team.
We tell stories you wouldn’t hear otherwise!
Each season, we stage three bold, challenging, relevant plays that put women’s stories center stage. We hold artistic excellence at the heart of our work, with a commitment to choosing, hiring, and producing the best. Each production showcases distinct and diverse viewpoints, with the goal of broadening the artistic landscape in our community.
We share stories that move audiences: to a new understanding of timely issues, to reflection, and to action. To name a few:
- THE HOW & THE WHY by Sarah Treem (2022) to explore themes of evolutionary biology, feminism and generational divides, and the complex interplay of nature versus nurture and family versus genetics.
- COST OF LIVING by Martina Majok (2023) to spotlight the lives of people living with disabilities.
- THE NETHER by Jennifer Haley (2025) to open important discussions about the impact of virtual reality and AI on society, culture and morality.
In addition, our Br!NK New Play Festival showcases the cutting-edge stories of women playwrights from the Midwest, emerging on the scene with innovative, boundary-pushing work. Br!NK is the only such incubator program in our region — many of these playwrights have gone onto achieve national recognition through the Kilroy List, the National New Play Network, Samuel French Off Off Broadway New Play Festival, and other platforms.
Since our founding in 1993, we have:
- Maintained 100% women producers as a women-led company;
- Provided opportunities for over 700 theater professionals, 75% of whom are women;
- Nurtured the careers of many local – and now nationally recognized – female theater professionals, including Laura Gordon, Angela Iannone, Carrie Coon, Sarah Sokolovic and Tanya Saracho.
For almost 30 years, we have done all of this at the highest level of artistic quality, and without ever taking out a line of credit or falling into debt.
Glowing critical reviews, a dedicated subscriber base, sold-out performances, and national interest in our mission have amplified our work.