Who We Are

Method

StageDirect is continually on the prowl for well-written, well-acted, smart, challenging, and unconventional new work. We scour alternative weeklies, trade mags, and any other source we can get our hands on in search of productions that are not part, in the immortal words of Nietzsche, of "the eternal recurrence of the same." We have a network of fellow travelers in the fringe world throughout the country and abroad who tip us off to off-the-beaten-path projects that strike a chord.

We are unabashedly eclectic. We really don't give a damn about genre, discipline, or other academic terms of art. Monologues. Performance art. Multimedia. We'll gladly look at 'em all - if they're high quality and aren't just rehashes of what's already on the tube or the silver screen.

Once we find something that intrigues us, we speak to the writers, performers, and stage company and find out whether they have an interest in working with us. If so, we will try to shoot the show during the current run or see whether a remount can be arranged. In some cases we may consider bringing the show to the theater we share with CoHo Productions in Portland. We shoot multiple performances with multiple digital cameras using professional shooters and sound people. We have our own editing suite and do sophisticated post-production in-house.

We offer both up-front payments and in some cases royalties to the artists with whom we work. We are a small start-up, not Paramount Pictures, so no one should expect to retire on their StageDirect residuals. But we give unknown artists an opportunity to make money doing what they are already doing for very little and to reach a broader audience than they could possibly achieve on their own. If that's exploitation, then we plead guilty as charged.