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Mission Statement
The Baltimore Theatre Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and promoting theater in the greater Baltimore area.
BTA History - Grass roots beginnings
The idea of an alliance to serve the interests of theater in the greater Baltimore area emerged from a meeting of the theater community held by The Baltimore Chronicle in 1995. Notably among that large gathering was Equity actress and longtime theater advocate Vivienne Shub, who first recognized that the time was right to create such an organization. The initial success of the concept seemed guaranteed during the first meeting of the Baltimore Theatre Alliance (BTA), held at Everyman Theatre on August 19, 1996, when over 90 artists, technicians and administrators from 20 theaters joined.
Composition of the original Board reflected the focus on seeking input from a full range of theaters, including established professional Equity companies, community and educational theaters, and individual artists. In December 1999, BTA hired its first professional administrator, which helped extend the organization's outreach and gave the volunteer-based organization new legitimacy among the arts organizations of Baltimore. Since Fall 2001, the centralization of BTA's operations has been completed. BTA is a member of the Association of Performing Arts Service Organizations (APASO).
| Organizational Goals |
| • | To assist theaters to develop audiences by providing resource sharing and cooperative marketing |
| • | To provide information exchange within the theatrical community |
| • | To participate in arts advocacy |
| • | To provide professional development for individual artists |
| • | To heighten the public's awareness of the many and diverse educational and theatrical entertainment choices available to them |
| • | To provide a forum for the discussion, study and improvement of theater arts |
| BTA has developed the following programs to carry out these goals: |
| • | What's Playing? - An informational brochure produced in partnership with Baltimore's premier regional theater, Center Stage |
| • | BTA TheaterNEWS - Twice-weekly email transmissions distributed to approximately 1,000 subscribers |
| • | Annual Auditions - Annual open area-wide auditions held for the region's theater artists and organizations |
| • | Professional Workshops - Led by skilled experts in theater-related activities |
| • | Stage Money - A gift certificate program allowing the public to purchase vouchers that are redeemable at 17 participating member theaters |
| • | BTA Website - www.baltimoreperforms.org, which offers member services and invaluable reference information on the thriving Baltimore theater scene |
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Talent Registry - An interactive web-tool for talent
searching by area theaters and producers |
| • | Advocacy - Participation in community events to increase awareness of and participation by the theater-going public |
Baltimore Theatre Alliance, Inc. is a charitable, nonprofit organization
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. BTA is supported by
membership contributions of individual artists and theater organizations
and by grants from The Baltimore Community Foundation, Baltimore Office of
Promotion and the Arts and Maryland State Arts Council
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