Off-Broadway

Off-Broadway is a New York theatre category generally defined by a venue’s seating capacity and production contracts, not simply its distance from Broadway.

Broadway theatre: A New York professional theatre production classified under Broadway venue and contractual rules. Its larger-house thresholds and agreements define the boundary that Off-Broadway productions do not cross.
Little Theatre Movement: An early twentieth-century movement promoting small, independent theatres and alternatives to commercial stage production. Its experiments helped establish the independent-theatre tradition from which Off-Broadway developed.
Public Theater: A New York nonprofit arts organization founded by Joseph Papp, known for producing Shakespeare and new plays. Its Off-Broadway stages have launched influential works and developed new playwrights.
Pulitzer Prize for Drama: An annual American award recognizing distinguished drama written by an American author, primarily for the stage. Off-Broadway productions have brought many new plays into consideration for the prize.
Off-Off-Broadway: A New York theatre category associated with smaller venues and less commercial production structures than Off-Broadway. It marks the smaller-scale category beyond Off-Broadway’s usual venue and contract limits.
Washington Square Players: A New York theatre company founded in 1914 that staged plays outside the commercial Broadway system. The company exemplified the small-scale experimentation that preceded Off-Broadway.
La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: A New York experimental theatre organization founded by Ellen Stewart in 1961. La MaMa demonstrates Off-Broadway’s role as a home for unconventional performance.
Obie Awards: Annual awards recognizing achievement in Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway theatre in New York. The awards give independent New York theatre its own system of recognition.
League of Off-Broadway Theatres and Producers: A trade association representing many New York Off-Broadway theatres and producers. The League negotiates the agreements that help define Off-Broadway production conditions.
Group Theatre: A New York theatre company active from 1931 to 1941, known for ensemble acting and socially engaged plays. Its influential work helped shape New York’s non-Broadway theatrical culture.

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