Watts Village Theater Company (WVTC) is a multicultural urban company that seeks to inspire its community with an appreciation of all cultures through new works about contemporary social issues.

 

Actor and Watts community activist Quentin Drew and actor/playwright Lynn Manning founded WVTC in 1996 as an outgrowth of Cornerstone Theater Company’s residency in Watts.

 

In 2011, WVTC received the American Theatre Wing's National Theatre Company Award as one of the top 10 most promising small theatre companies on the country.  WVTC recently completed its participation in the Annenberg Foundation's Alchemy+ Leadership Training Program.

 

Drawing on the stories and testimonies of witnesses, WVTC will develop several performance pieces exploring the 1965 Watts Riot/Rebellion with the goals of preserving community memory and making the community’s history more accessible. Additional research on the event, as well as on other relevant episodes of civil unrest—the 1992 riots and the 1943 Zoot Suit roots—will be conducted by project staff and incorporated into the final productions. Performances will take place at various locations in the community, including one at the intersection where the riots started on the corner of Avalon Blvd and 116th St, during the summer of 2013. For more information go to The Riot/Rebellion Event Page

Riot/Rebellion Viewings were presented on Sunday, April 22, 2012 @ Salon de la Plaza to great acclaim - view video of the event on the WVTC Video Page



In collaboration with Animo Watts Charter High School, WVTC will produce its first full-length mainstage production since "Ochre & Onyx" in 2009! This will also be the first theatre production EVER for the students of Animo Watts, who have seen their arts programs cut during these difficult economic times and have persevered through this unique partnership. For more information go to the Simply Maria Event Page

Meet Me @Metro: Uncovering Los Angeles’ Hidden Treasures (M3-III) is Watts Village Theater Company's (WVTC's) third annual celebration of transit and performing arts. This hands-on artistic expedition will search out culturally significant sites around the Metro rail system and create “artistic excavations” that will allow audience members to discover and learn about Los Angeles’ rich and diverse artistic history in an active and participatory manner. For more information go to the Meet Me @Metro III Event Page

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