COLT COEUR IS A BROOKLYN-BASED THEATER COMPANY FOUNDED IN 2010.

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code of community.

Our original, story-driven, visceral theatrE embraces the power of intimate live performance—it pulls you close and doesn’t let go. Our community of artists nurtures and invests in diverse perspectives to produce work that challenges the boundaries between tradition and experimentation. We embrace the ambivalence, terror and exhilaration of our time with theatre that is an antidote to the pervasive cultural illness of loneliness. We explore themes of coming-of-age, individual and collective identity, nostalgia and history, public versus private, love, lust, and loss.

Through our unique collective process, every theatrE artist—actor, playwright, designer—takes part in shared invention and collaborative creation; creating heart- and mind-opening audience experiences unlike any other. We nurture the next generation of theatrE artists by providing access, education and a professional pipeline, while amplifying voices and perspectives that have historically been sidelined. 

About Colt Coeur
Our 27-member ensemble of actors, designers, playwrights, and directors incubates the next generation of theater artists through the development and production of new plays—which we create from scratch. Over 14 years, Colt Coeur has produced 17 world premieres, two NY premiereS, developed OVER 50 plays, and provided free arts intensives for over 200 students. We pride ourselves on being a laboratory for exploration while also nurturing the work of emerging artists and providing them a launch pad for their visions.

Colt Coeur has a tremendous reputation among artists and audiences alike. The company is renowned for its high artistic standards, and artists who work with Colt Coeur have gone on to contribute to and excel in every level of the entertainment industry. Colt Coeur has helped launch the multi-faceted careers of Timothée Chalamet, Ato Essandoh, Betty Gilpin, Steven Levenson, Ana Nogueira, and Joe Tippett, among many others.

Company members:
jose sebastian alberdi, Brittany K. Allen, Rashad T. Bailey, Abbie Betts, Emily McDonnell Caffery, Molly Carden, Francisca Da Silveira, Sarah Dahnke, Ato Essandoh, Nayib Felix, Amy Groeschel, Adam Harrington, Rachel Herron, Steven Levenson, Lynne Lipton, MJ Kaufman, Portia Krieger, Niara Mae, Eden Marryshow, John McDermott, Rehana Lew Mirza, Caren Celine Morris, Hidenori Nakajo, Ana Nogueira, Eric Norbury, Kate Cullen Roberts, Lia Romeo, Sarah Sander, Maya Smoot, Danny Tejera, Corey Umlauf, Liba Vaynberg, Noelle Viñas & Alexander Woodward

CoCo Residents (2024-2025):
Micaela Bottari, Kathleen Capdesuñer, Justine Gelfman, Renae Jarrett, Ying Ying Li, Alex Lin, Molly Marinik, Graham Techler, Seayoung Yim
Click here to learn more about this year’s Residents.

Director of Education & Outreach:
Maya Smoot

Artistic Fellow:
Talya Braverman

Videographer:
Crystal Arnette / Adventure We Can

Founding members:
Amy Altadonna, Teddy Bergman, Katya Campbell, Adrienne Campbell-Holt, Erin Felgar, Amy Groeschel, Steven Levenson, Heidi Niedermeyer, Kate Cullen Roberts, Caleb Scott, Matt Stadelmann & Grant Yeager

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Productions

All 18 of Colt Coeur’s premieres explored themes of resonance to our times and garnered rave reviews, award recognition, and future productions. Highlights include sold-out premiere runs of DRY LAND by Ruby Rae Spiegel and EUREKA DAY by Jonathan Spector.  Recent world premieres have included HATEF**K by Rehana Lew Mirza (co-pro with WP) and DODI & DIANA by Kareem Fahmy. 

2010-present
Steven Levenson’s SEVEN MINUTES IN HEAVEN was selected by Ars Nova for ANTFEST and subsequently transferred to the Emerging America Festival in Boston before running for 3 weeks at HERE. Lucas Kavner’s FISH EYE ran for 3 weeks at HERE and was included in NY Magazine’s “Best of 2011″ list. Eliza Clark’s RECALL had a 4-week run at the Wild Project and also received rave reviews. Nikole Beckwith’s satire EVERYTHING IS OURS ran for 4 weeks in 2013 at HERE and extended due to demand. Ruby Spiegel’s DRY LAND made NYPost’s Top 10 of 2014 list and was recently published in American Theater magazine (along with photographs from our production).  MJ Kaufman’s HOW TO LIVE ON EARTH enjoyed a 4-week run in the fall of 2015 and was featured on MSNBC’s “The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donell. 2016 was among Colt Coeur’s fullest season to date – the company produced two world premieres. With Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, CAL IN CAMO was celebrated by Ben Brantley in the New York Times as a “mystical cocktail of a play” and extended due to demand. Ana Nogueira’s play EMPATHITRAX premiered at HERE, and was celebrated for its universality, bravery and heart. In 2018, ZÜRICH by Amelia Roper, premiered at New York Theatre Workshop’s inaugural Next Door Series and was nominated for 4 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. Most recently, JOAN, by Stephen Belber, starred Johanna Day, Adam Harrington & Marjan Neshat and ran at HERE.  HATEF**K, by Rehana Lew Mirza, was our 11th world premiere, and ran March 3-31, 2019 at the WP Theater, (in a co-production with WP Theater). EUREKA DAY, by Jonathan Spector was a New York Times Critic’s Pick and enjoyed a sold-out run in August & September 2019, before being picked up by Sonia Friedman for a production at the Old Vic (UK). In the fall of 2021, POLYLOGUES, an interview-based solo show about monogamy and love in all its forms, created by and performed by Xandra Nur Clark, played to live houses as well as reaching audiences worldwide through streaming. In November 2021, we launched the limited release of PLEASURE MACHINE, a nine-episode audio thriller with a “rich, well-layered soundscape” about one artist’s attempt to cultivate authentic experiences of pleasure inside the cacophonous pressures of capitalism. In May 2022, we presented, in collaboration with Rat Queen Theatre Co, the debut of THE GODDAMN TOONY LUNES, a new musical, expressed virtually through a collection of songs and videos, that explores spaces where misfits go to understand themselves and find community. In the fall of 2022, we produced the world premiere of Kareem Fahmy’s DODI & DIANA (commissioned by Colt Coeur in 2020) at HERE Arts Center. In the fall of 2023 Colt Coeur partnered with WP Theater to produce the world premiere of BITE ME by Eliana Pipes, and in 2024 we produced the NY premiere of STILL, by Lia Romeo. STILL extended its run due to demand. Nearly all of these plays have also been published and will receive future productions around the US and abroad.

Play Hotel

Our primary arena for developing new work is held 4 times/year. Workshops last 4-10 days, culminating in a free public presentation. Dialogue between artists and audience are held after each presentation. Past writers include: Clare Barron, Kate Cortesi, Obehi Janice, Sylvia Khoury, Antoinette Nwandu, Lily Padilla, and Max Posner.

Parity plays festival

Colt Coeur founded its annual Parity Plays Festival in 2014. This Festival features public readings of four new plays and aims to celebrate the work of female and trans playwrights and directors. Past playwrights and directors include: Lindsey Ferrentino, Antoinette Nwandu, Danya Taymor, Tamilla Woodard, Pirronne Yousefzadeh, and Rehana Lew Mirza. In 2017 & 2019 Colt Coeur partnered with the WP Theater to co-produce this Annual Festival.

Coco Residency

Now in its 8th year, our Residency continues to provide an intimate group of playwrights, directors, producers & designers with the invaluable resources of community, space to work, and a stipend. Artistic Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt meets with Residents on a quarterly basis with an emphasis on forging authentic creative collaborations and amplifying these artists' voices. We also invite luminaries from the field to join us for conversations.

After issuing an Open Call this past July, Colt Coeur received nearly 200 applications from interested artists. Our Artistic Programming Committee reviewed materials and selected 21 Finalists. Interviews took place in August and the nine Residents will be announced at our Benefit Bash in October 2024.
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Education Initiative & mentorship program

Colt Coeur has been committed to offering free educational programming since our founding in 2010.
Click here to learn more about this programming.
Our Mentorship Program launched in the summer of 2020 and connects professional actors, playwrights and designers with POC alumni of the Education Initiative. Recent mentors include Tatiana Kahvegian (TONY-nominated designer of The Outsiders) and Juliana Canfield (TONY-nominated actor for Stereophonic). If you are interested in being a Mentor please email coltcoeur@gmail.com. You must participate in the annual Education Initiative ‘theater camp’ to be eligible to be a Mentee.

FOR LINKS TO PRESS COVERAGE, CLICK ON THE 'SHOWS' PAGE AND SELECT A SHOW.