The seemingly growing ranks of avid theatergoers in Tempe and West Chandler have plenty in store as Tempe Center for the Arts reveals its resident company partners for the 2024–27 seasons.
According to Kelly Taylor, who oversees marketing for the popular center, seven local performing arts and cultural organizations were chosen through a public submission and assessment process involving representatives from the Tempe Arts and Culture Commission and TCA. Each was selected, Taylor reports, for its potential to contribute creative vibrancy, cultural literacy, inclusion and regional distinctiveness. Through a tailored range of marketing, rental space and financial benefits, the performance companies are supported to advance their long term artistic and business goals through a multiyear commitment to presenting at TCA.
While TCA’s Resident Company program has successfully operated for years, the refreshed 2024-27 format provided opportunities for new organizations to apply, Taylor noted. New local companies include Cultural Coalition, Tempe Community Chorus and Phoenix Children’s Chorus. Returning companies include Arizona Wind Symphony, CONDER/dance, Stray Cat Theatre and Hayden’s Ferry Chamber Music Series. Each brings entertaining and impactful programs to TCA’s existing lineup of seasonal performances by national touring artists as well as several local performing talents.
Upcoming events and performances will include what Taylor describes as diverse ancestral culture of Latine, Indigenous and Chicano peoples, chamber music, edgy indie theater, symphonic music and energizing dance as well as new choral opportunities for youth and adults.
“Resident companies serve as hubs for creative vitality and community involvement and play an essential role in sustaining a buzzing arts center where everyone can feel they belong,” said Brendan Ross, deputy director of Tempe Arts and Culture.
“Over the next three years, it is estimated that these companies will collectively present 230 events, provide jobs for 375 artists, involve 1,650 community members as active arts participants, and entertain an audience of more than 55,000 people from all walks of life,” he said.
Mayor Corey Woods added his own perspective to the upcoming season. “Local arts organizations have been a valued part of TCA since it opened 17 years ago,” said Woods. “This refreshed resident program ensures that TCA continues to align with the current needs of the city’s arts sector.
“I am proud to see such a diverse range of programming and initiatives that unite our community on so many levels.”
A number of Tempe Center for the Arts Resident Company performances are free to the public, and no show is exactly the same. Information about the various programs is available at TempeCenterForTheArts.com.
