Welcome to the Alliance.

Budget cuts tried to stop us. They failed. When my high school eliminated our fall drama program, I retaliated by directing a student-led production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It was the first play that I had ever produced or directed. The rest is history (herstory?)

 

After falling in love with that show, I set a goal that only a mentally ill 17-year-old could: I am going to direct all 37 Shakespeare plays.

 

This personal mission has guided my creative life. It has served as a basis to continually refine my process, brought me my greatest collaborators, and even introduced me to the man that would become my husband (Paolo Ragusa, who played Petruchio in our 2019 production of The Taming of the Shrew. Despite his best efforts, he has yet to tame me). Classical theatre has fueled the way I relate to and see the world around me – I believe that theatre is the most transformative art form on earth. I am fascinated by how contemporary artists can reinterpret theatrical canon to challenge a play’s original meaning, particularly with Shakespeare’s work. By putting classical text in conversation with modern day themes, we’re reconnecting with our shared humanity across centuries, shedding light on the universal nature of our experiences.

 

Since 2012, we've gone on to produce eleven of Shakespeare's plays, as well as a variety of new works and other classics. But don’t get it twisted: 

 

We are NOT a Shakespeare Company. We are an Alliance. 

 

In the same way that this community encourages me to pursue my goal of directing Shakespeare’s plays, The Underground Theatre Alliance exists as a platform to empower every artist to create the work that speaks to their soul. In a world that demands we become mindless consumers, we strive to remind our alliance members that there is joy and magic in the act of creation. 

 

We exist purposefully outside of the traditional theatre ecosystem. We strive to remove the barriers that prevent artists from creating work, partnering with actors, directors, producers, and everyone in-between. One of my core beliefs is that an "artist" is not a job – it’s a personality type. If more people accept their own identity as an artist, we can quietly rebel against a society that keeps us disconnected from our creativity and humanity. 

 

At 17, I decided that I was an artist. Our production of Twelfth Night became an act of defiance: a group of students who had never produced a show before rehearsed in the janitors’ closets, used plastic tablecloths as 'curtains', and came together as a community. I believe that everyone, regardless of their level of experience, deserves that same chance to make art.

 

If you’ve read this far, we hope that you’ll join us. Welcome to the Alliance. We’re so glad that you’re here.

 

With Love,

Laura Clinton

Founder & Co-Artistic Director