Theatre Artists Workshop, Neighbor

On Valentine’s Day, 1983, the first meeting of the Theatre Artists Workshop of Westport, Inc. was held. Founded by Keir Dullea and his wife, the late Susie Fuller, and based on the Los Angeles “Theatre East” workshop they had loved, TAW is designed as a safe place, a theatrical gymnasium, where theatre professionals hone their craft, stretch creative muscles, experiment, develop new plays, work with and get feedback from fellow actors, writers and directors away from the harsh glare of the public spotlight.

​For 43 years, the Workshop has served its membership and audiences with that original vision still intact. Plays have been developed that have gone on to Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional and even International production. Workshop performance and constructive critique have improved members’ skills, and led to new opportunities. Audiences attend readings of classic and original plays, scenes and stories at the workshop theatre, local libraries and cultural institutions.

Membership over the years has included names such as Lucille Lortel, Anne Baxter, Theodore Bikel, Phoebe Brand, Morton DaCosta, Sandy Dennis, Mia Dillon, Keir Dullea, Christopher Durang, Kevin Gray, Shirley Knight, Ring Lardner, Jr., James Noble, Jane Powell, Lee Richardson, Laura San Giacomo, and Brett Somers.

Membership in the Workshop is open to professional actors, writers and directors. Admission is by audition, script submission or by a substantial body of recognized professional work.

TAW was founded in Westport, CT in 1983 by Susie Fuller, Keir Dullea, Haila Stoddard, Burry Frederick, Jerome Kilty, Whitfield Connor, Sydney Michaels, Patricia Englund, Chilton Ryan, James Mapes, Ann Clay, Louisette Michaels, and E. Katherine Kerr.