MCC Theater was founded in 1986 as Manhattan Class Company, then a collective of young actors, writers and directors eager to take a leadership role in their own artistic development.  Initial peer-based “classes” led to showcases and eventually to the kinds of full-scale productions that have made MCC Theater one of New York’s leading off-Broadway theater companies.  The philosophy and aesthetic on which MCC Theater was founded continues to fuel our work in three main areas of focus:

• Mainstage – From the Pulitzer Prize winning Wit, to the Tony Award-winning Frozen, to last season’s Grace, our productions challenge our artists and audiences as only great theater can.
• The Playwrights’ Coalition – Through this fellowship emerging writers create new work that we bring to audiences in unique PlayLabs throughout the development process. Current and past members include some of the hottest young playwrights on the scene today: Stephen Belber, Adam Bock, Stephen Adly Guirgis, and Lucy Thurber.
• Education & Outreach – The MCC Theater Youth Company, our free after-school program, now celebrating its 10th anniversary, was the first of its kind in New York to be associated with a professional theater.  With the support of professional artists, our students write and perform their own work that we showcase in annual productions, including UNCENSORED and the FreshPlay Festival.