Mission
Compass Rose Theater is a non-profit professional teaching theater company. We believe that inclusion enriches our creativity and broadens our world. At our core is our devotion and unwavering commitment to produce plays of superb quality and richness, hiring accomplished professional artists as well as talented students for our productions. As the compass rose on a nautical map guides the mariner, Compass Rose Theater charts a course toward plays which not only entertain, but offer a theater experience which lifts us up and transcends the ordinary, leaving us with a better understanding of the world and ourselves.
​
Our History
Founded in the spring of 2011 by Lucinda Merry-Browne, Compass Rose Theater is a small non-profit professional theater, that offers productions of the highest caliber. Driven by our passion to produce plays that leave the audience moved and even transformed by the experience of the show, we hire actors and theater artists who are accomplished professionals, producing plays that range from classic to contemporary, comedy to drama. Discovering the truth of each script and striving to achieve excellence in each production, we hold ourselves to the highest artistic standards.
We offer classes and workshops to students of all ages and keep our teaching mission at the core of all our work. Students work alongside the professionals and are fully compensated as with the other actors. This practice creates a strong bond among the cast, where the students are mentored and the professionals are inspired by the passion that the students bring to the process. We also offer Young Actors' Studio to talented students aged 12-17 who are selected by audition to participate in master classes and student productions throughout the year.
All of the Compass Rose Theater faculty are teaching artists with a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in theater from an accredited institution. Some have Master's Degrees in theater as well. All of our faculty have teaching experience with a range of student populations and a depth of knowledge of how to challenge and stimulate the creative process within students individually and as an acting ensemble.
Our approach to theater education is process-based, meaning that any performance results from hard work and in-depth study of technique. We do not seek to present a polished product until the basics of theater knowledge have been learned. The result of this building work is that when the performances happen, they are the consequences of the rich and rewarding work of becoming an actor. And they are excellent, surprising audiences at the quality that student actors can achieve.
We hope you will visit our theater soon as a patron, student, volunteer, actor, or part of our dedicated creative team.
​​​