Theater Alaska was founded in 2020 with the passion to share stories that connect with our community in Juneau and around the great state of Alaska.
In 2021, Theater Alaska presented the first annual Alaska Theater Festival which included an outdoor production of Macbeth, the Neighborhood Cabaret, and readings of plays by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse and Annie Bartholomew. The company established the Alaska Writers Workshop and built a relationship with the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Theatre graduate acting program to provide Alaskan writers opportunities to further develop their writing. Additionally, Theater Alaska developed a partnership with teachers at Juneau School District High Schools to help make Shakespeare accessible to students.
In 2022, we presented the second annual Alaska Theater Festival which included full productions of Annie Bartholomew’s Sisters of White Chapel and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
This current year, Theater Alaska presented Every Brilliant Thing by Duncan Macmillan in collaboration with NAMI Juneau and the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition. The production traveled to community locations such as the Douglas and Mendenhall Public Valley Libraries, Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Walter Soboleff Building Clan House, Egan Library at University of Alaska Southeast, Glory Hall, Juneau Douglas High School, and Thunder Mountain High School. We presented the first Alaska Theater Festival: Radio Plays with KTOO in assocation with Juneau Ghost Light Theatre.
For many, there exist significant barriers to attend theatrical events. We are inspired to create a theater that overcomes these obstacles. To increase accessibility, we bring free productions to venues such as community centers, libraries, schools, parks, and other non-traditional venues. We meet people where they are most comfortable.
Theater Alaska is modeled after Ten Thousand Things, Minneapolis, MN, which tours professional productions to community venues.
In 2022, Theater Alaska was presented the Kathy Kolkhorst Ruddy Award for the Arts for its work as an arts organization. The Alaska Theater Festival: Radio Plays was awarded a 2023 Alaska Broadcasters Association Goldie Award.
