Theatre Bay Area (TBA) is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

founded in 1976. Its mission is to unite, strengthen and promote the

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

community in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

. TBA is the largest regional theatre service organization in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, around 2,000 individual artist and 300 theatre company members. The San Francisco Bay Area is the third largest theatre center in the country, with more than 400 companies in 12 counties. The region has more theatre companies per capita than almost any other metropolitan area in the U.S. and is home to the third largest community of Equity (union) actors, following

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. Some 200 new plays are premiered in San Francisco each year, many going on to wider success at large. Theatre Bay Area's membership is derived from 12 Bay Area counties ( the 9 counties plus Santa Cruz,

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

, and San Joaquin counties) and consists of more than 365 Bay Area theatre and dance companies, from multimillion-dollar organizations to grassroots community groups; some 3,000 individuals, including

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

directors Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

designer A designer is a person who plans the form or structure of something before it is made, by preparing drawings or plans. In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, products, processes, laws, games, graphics, services, or exper ...

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes play (theatre), plays, which are a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between Character (arts), characters and is intended for Theatre, theatrical performance rather than just Readin ...

technician A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different special ...

s and

theatre patrons Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

; and more than 100 organizational members, from libraries and universities to theatre industry professional services. Theatre Bay Area's most prominent programs include TIX Bay Area, ''Theatre Bay Area'' magazine, and re-granting programs for emerging theatre companies and local theatre artists.

TIX Bay Area

TIX Bay Area was a walk-up box office, located on

Union Square, San Francisco, California Union Square is a public plaza bordered by Geary, Powell, Post, and Stockton Streets in downtown San Francisco, California. "Union Square" also refers to the central shopping, hotel, and theater district surrounding the plaza for several b ...

. It closed in September, 2019.

Theatre Bay Area Magazine

The first issue, a mimeographed single page, appeared in January 1976 (it took the name ''Callboard'' four months later). The single page turned into a couple of stapled pages. In September 1987, under Theatre Bay Area's executive director and ''Callboard'' managing editor Deborah Allen, the publication grew to a 7-inch-by-11-inch format. In 1987, one color was added. The September 1988 issue was Jean Schiffman's first as editor. (She was previously the organization's communications director, and before that a publications associate.) Belinda Taylor became editor in June 1993 and by October 1993 had completely redesigned the magazine. The result is the roughly 8.5-inch-by-11-inch magazine ''Theatre Bay Area Magazine'' has today. The name ''Callboard'' was changed to ''Theatre Bay Area Magazine'' in January 2004 in an attempt to more accurately reflect its content. The magazine has up to date audition listings that ''Callboard'' got its start publishing in 1976, and also covers stories and articles about the Bay Area theatre scene and theatre in general. The magazine transferred to a digital format beginning with its September / October 2013 edition.

References

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External links

Theatre Bay Area
* https://twitter.com/theatrebayarea Theatrical organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Theatre in San Francisco