Area Stage Conservatory:
ASC's Inclusion Theatre Project:
Mission:
Area Stage Company resolves
-To fulfill the need for communal storytelling with world-class theatre and cultural programs.
-To nurture the next generation of theatre artists.
-To celebrate and enhance inclusion and diversity by strengthening empathy between individuals.
-To make
the in-person, collective experience of theatre accessible to everyone, including populations with disabilities.
-To provide a forum for creative community engagement. Area Stage Company (ASC), established in 1989, is an award-winning professional theatre company that for over 32 years has staged provocative, world-class theater productions. Founded by John and Maria Rodaz, Area Stage originated in Miami Beach in 1989. The company was one of the pioneers of the Miami arts community that surged in the 1980’s on Lincoln Road, when the once high-end shopping area had become a dilapidated strip of empty storefronts. Since its inception, ASC has presented a mix of contemporary plays and original new works, quickly "changing the perception and standards of what South Florida's theatres can and should be," according to the Sun-Sentinel, which described the organization as “one of the most influential theatres in the region.” Throughout its history, ASC has presented a mix of contemporary plays and original new works, producing numerous world premieres and upwards of 10 productions yearly. In addition to ASC’s professional productions, it now has grown to house a youth theatre Conservatory, as well as the Miami Q***r Theatre Collective, dedicated to sharing the stories of LGBTQIA+ theatre artists, and the Inclusion Theatre Project which offers free theatre education to 300+ students with developmental disabilities year-round. After ten years of distinguished success on Lincoln Road as one of the key players in the resurgence of the area, ASC faced skyrocketing rent and was forced to give up its home. In 2008, ASC moved into the beautiful Riviera Theatre in Coral Gables, a dream come true and an opportunity for the company to reinvent itself. With a reimagined mission and vision, the company established a professional-level conservatory program in addition to maintaining a full season of professional productions, concerts, and community events. In 2020, after 11 years as the resident theatre company at the Riviera Theatre, the building was sold and ASC was on the move once again. The company has now settled in a temporary, but exciting, new home in Sunset Place while continuing to search for a new, permanent home. ASC productions have earned over thirty-four Carbonell Award nominations, numerous recognitions such as the Miami New Times’ “Best Of,” including 2019 & 2020, for Best Theater Company, and national recognition on WLRN, CNN, CNN International, Univision, Telemundo, and on ABC’s Nightline with Ted Koppel as the only theatre company ever featured on the program. In 2014, the program earned the Remy Award for Outstanding Contributions to Children's Theatre and for The Best Theatre Program for Children. ASC’s Mainstage production of Cabaret was ranked in the top 10 South Florida musicals of 2018 by Boca magazine. Last year, ASC was selected by the Coral Gables Award Program for the 2019 Best of Coral Gables Award in the Performing Arts Theater category.
