Mission

To provide a home base for Wisconsin theater professionals that will expand the economic and cultural life of the greater Madison area.

What is Forward Theater Company?

Forward Theater Company is a not-for-profit professional theater company founded to  provide exceptional theater experiences for area audiences and give professional actors, designers, and directors an artistic home.

Why Forward?

This company was founded on a commitment to the civic life of our community. The Madison area, home to the University of Wisconsin and the state government, deserves locally produced, professional theater that can add to the cultural fabric of our city. 

There is a vibrant community of professional theater artists living in and around Madison, but over the last decade, the lack of places to work forced many to leave town or the profession. Forward Theater Company is committed to creating jobs for many of these artists, supporting the work of Wisconsin playwrights, and providing hands-on experience for students in area college theater programs.

We are proud to partner with groups like Wisconsin Wrights, Overture Center for the Arts, the University of Wisconsin - Madison Department of Theatre and Drama, American Players Theatre,The Wisconsin Story Project, Wisconsin Public Radio, Dane County Libraries, the Wisconsin Historical Society, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre to bring exciting, engaging, and challenging theater experiences to an ever increasing audience.

Why now?

In times of transition, the arts become even more essential in our communities.

“The arts help you see the transience of crisis, remove you to more pleasant spots, help you believe that everything will be all right. And they get you all fired up and ready to take a risk…. And the arts that matter most in the Midwest are the arts that live in the Midwest. They are our sources of education, enlightenment and (perhaps most important of all) pride in our hometowns. For the arts that live in your town don't just invite passive consumption…they demand an intoxicating blend of listening, participating, conversing.”

—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

Madison and its surrounding communities have always been supportive of the arts in many forms — theater, music, dance and visual arts presented by amateur, semi-professional, and professional organizations. Forward Theater Company is proud to take its place as a resident organization in the beautiful Overture Center for the Arts, providing opportunities for artists to come together with audiences to explore great dramas and provoke conversations about the issues that matter the most.