Furious Theatre Company

In 2001, Furious Theatre Company incorporated as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and began the search for the right scripts to produce--and a theatre in which to present them. After numerous letters and phone calls, we were led to the City of Pasadena and The Armory Center for the Arts. They generously granted us the use of a 9,000 square foot section of Armory Northwest, a former plastics factory. In February 2002, we began converting the raw warehouse into an alternative performance space. Risers were constructed, the lighting grid hung, and stage curtains built, all by our ensemble. On April 26, 2002, we opened the U.S. Professional Premiere of Saturday Night at the Palace by Paul Slabolepszy.

In the 12 months following our debut, we produced five plays: three U.S. Premieres, a West Coast Premiere and a contemporary classic. These productions earned 6 NAACP Theatre Award nominations (winner Best Supporting Actor, Best Director), two LA Weekly Award nominations, and numerous critic's picks from the Los Angeles media. The company also received The Pasadena Arts Councils' Gold Crown Award, a special Debut Award from Back Stage West, and we were named "Best New Theatre Company" by the Pasadena Weekly.

In September 2003, the City of Pasadena reclaimed the Armory Northwest. After a 13-month search for a new home, the Pasadena Playhouse granted Furious a 4-year residency at the Balcony Theatre, the Playhouse's 99-seat second stage. Once again the ensemble set to work converting a theatre space, this time reconfiguring the seating, constructing a new, larger stage and upgrading the space's technical capabilities. During the first 15 months in residence at the Playhouse, the company produced an ambitious and varied season of productions which included 2 U.S. Premieres, a West Coast Premiere, a Los Angeles Premiere and a World Premiere Adaptation.