THE Magazine - Dallas / Forthworth

The Undermain Theatre is an ensemble of artists that performs new and experimental works in Texas, New York, and Europe; collaborates with playwrights; supports a theater archive; publishes plays; and sustains a theater under Main Street in Dallas’ legendary Deep Ellum. Undermain Theatre was founded in 1984 by a group of artists who transformed a warehouse basement under Main Street in Dallas’ legendary Deep Ellum into a unique performance space and began producing new and experimental plays. Undermain Theatre has produced plays by Mac Wellman, Jeffrey M. Jones, John O’Keefe, Erik Ehn, Len Jenkin, Suzan Lori-Parks, Lenora Champagne, Howard Barker, Dario Fo, Sam Shepard, Samuel Beckett, Caryl Churchill, Goran Stefanovski, and Octavio Solis. Collaboration during rehearsal and production with the playwright is an integral and exciting part of the work. Undermain has been called “one of the best small theaters in America” by The San Diego Union-Tribune, and “…our most daring and accomplished theatrical troupe…” by The Dallas Morning News. Undermain was also the recipient of the Ken Bryant Vision Award, “…the most significant form of recognition for fostering creativity and innovation in the cultural arts of Dallas.” In 1995, the company was invited to the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia to perform Goran Stefanovski’s Sarajevo in Skopje to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. It also performed at the ancient Roman Theatre at Bittola and at the Ohrid Theatre Festival. In 2001, the company was again invited to the Balkans, where it performed at the Belgrade International Theatre Festival. Since 2000, the company has produced five plays in New York City, including Lenora Champagne’s Coaticook at SoHo Think Tank’s Ice Factory Festival, Erik Ehn’s Swedish Tales of Woe at HERE and the Ohio Theatre, John O’Keefe’s Glamour at the Ohio, and most recently Jeffrey M. Jones’ A Man’s Best Friend at Walkerspace in March of 2005.