MCCARTER THEATRE

Among other artistic goals noted, McCarter Theatre also seeks to contribute new work to the national theater canon through the commissioning and development of new plays by both established and emerging playwrights, and to bolster the American theater field through professional development and employment opportunities. At the regional level, McCarter's goal is to “engage, educate and entertain" audiences of all ages with the work on our stages and through our educational programming.

McCarter's contributions to the American theater canon occur through the season-long activities of the McCarter LAB, our new play development program which includes playscript commissions, play readings, artist retreats and developmental support of artists. McCarter contributes to the theater profession through our Emerging Leaders Program, which has since 1990 trained over 270 post-collegiate interns in all facets of a performing arts organization including directing, casting, stage and company management, production, education, marketing and fundraising. Through our annual Theater Series, Presented Series, and professionally-led Education and Engagement programs, McCarter touches 120,000 audience members each season.

McCarter was incorporated as a non-profit arts organization in 1973, and enjoys well-established leadership, a national reputation for excellence and a strong organizational partner in Princeton University. In the Spring of 2018 McCarter Theatre Center was pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its Campaign for McCarter, a multi-year fundraising effort which will provide a strong financial foundation for the future of the theatre. With the completion of the Campaign, McCarter can continue to build its legacy of providing powerful and thoughtful entertainment, continue the important job of supporting the work of new and emerging playwrights and introduce young people in our community to the transformative power of a live performance. The campaign raised over $10 million for McCarter’s endowment while increasing annual fund support for general operations.

Under Artistic Director Emily Mann and Special Programming Director Bill Lockwood, McCarter has produced more than 50 world premiere plays and presented some of the world's finest performing artists from around the world. In 1994, McCarter was nationally recognized for its excellence with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. In 2013, Emily Mann, joined playwright Christopher Durang in accepting the Tony Award for Best Play for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a production which was developed, nurtured and first presented at McCarter in the fall of 2012.

In addition to honors related to our on-stage work, McCarter as an organization has consistently received both Citations and Excellence and the designation of a Major Arts Institution from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. In the fall of 2015, The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce honored McCarter's decades-long intern program for early career theater professionals with their Young Leaders Award, recognizing our effort in training and cultivating emerging theater professionals. Last March, McCarter was voted the “Favorite New Jersey Theater to See a Play" in the 2017 People Choice Awards conducted by Discover Jersey Arts. McCarter also manages a robust Education and Engagement program that reaches thousands of students in Princeton, Trenton, and New Brunswick each year; an “Access to the Arts" program that provides accessibility services and programming for more than 5,000 patrons; and a creative incubator for new play development called the McCarter LAB, which has fostered new work by emerging and award-winning playwrights throughout the country.

McCarter is constantly evaluating our work as a regional and national arts organization, and seeking ways to further grow our programs for the benefit of our community. As we enter a period of tremendous growth, we hope to continue expanding the impact of our programs for people of all ages, demographics, and abilities.