The organization originally was known as Artists in Prison, and used theatre to facilitate creative expression by incarcerated men and women. In 1980, it changed its name to "L.A. Theatre Works," and then in 1985, began producing and recording
radio dramas. The founding members included
Edward Asner,
Richard Dreyfuss,
Héctor Elizondo,
Harry Hamlin,
Julie Harris,
Amy Irving,
Stacy Keach,
John Lithgow,
Marsha Mason,
JoBeth Williams, and current Producing Director Susan Loewenberg. They joined out of a desire to create a venue for stage acting in Los Angeles. Between 1985 and 2012, L.A. Theatre Works has recorded over 400 plays. Titles include works by, among others: •
Jon Robin Baitz •
Rebecca Gilman •
Kenneth Lonergan •
David Mamet •
Arthur Miller •
Molière •
Lynn Nottage •
Yasmina Reza •
William Shakespeare •
Sophocles •
Tom Stoppard •
Oscar Wilde In 1997, L.A. Theatre Works received an
NEA Media Arts grant of $100,000 to support a campaign to increase the nationwide audience for its theatre library. The organization's performances were at the Los Angeles
Skirball Cultural Center, but in 2011, they began performing at the UCLA James Bridges Theatre. ALso in 2011, it began collaborating with
Roundabout Theatre Company to broadcast productions from
National Theatre Live in HD. These screenings are also held at the James Bridges Theatre. The first of these screenings was
The Importance of Being Earnest produced by Roundabout Theatre Company, starring
Brian Bedford. The same year, the organization completed its first International Tour of China with the play
Top Secret: Battle for the Pentagon Papers. In 2012, it began releasing
e-books of its plays. These e-books allow a user to listen to a recorded play while reading along with the text. By May 2012, L.A. Theatre Works had a weekly public radio show in over 80 markets in the US, along with available online streaming at their website, which is hosted by Loewenberg and also contains bonus wrap-around content. The show is distributed by
Public Radio Exchange (PRX). Recordings are available in over 9,000 libraries throughout the US and to the general public through the official website and from select retailers. L.A. Theatre Works' audio productions have received awards from the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting,
Writers Guild of America,
Publishers Weekly,
Library Journal, and
Audio Publishers Association, among others. Hollywood actors that have appeared in L.A. Theatre Works productions include, among many others: •
Ed Asner •
Annette Bening •
Héctor Elizondo •
Laurence Fishburne •
Paul Giamatti •
Neil Patrick Harris •
Julie Harris •
Glenne Headly •
Anne Heche •
John Lithgow •
Joe Mantegna •
Marsha Mason •
Alfred Molina •
Jason Ritter •
Jimmy Smits •
David Strathairn •
Hilary Swank •
JoBeth Williams == Artist Advisory Council ==