COURAGE PRODUCTIONS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization made of volunteers, whose mission is to positively impact the lives of individuals and communities through artistic and educational participation.   Founded in 2001 by Emmanuel Deleage, the company has produced successful plays that touch upon issues relevant to the various communities of Los Angeles.  In 2001, the company produced Armand Gatti’s Public Song before Two Electric Chairs, a play about the 1927 miscarriage of justice and execution of Sacco and Vanzetti in Massachusetts. In 2002, the company produced Real Women Have Curves by Josefina Lopez, a dramatic comedy about Latina seamstresses in Los Angeles who strive to maintain their dignity and joy while working in difficult conditions.  In 2003, the company produced many plays relating to the Latino community including Confession of Women from East LA, Boyle Heights, and Food for the Dead.  In 2004, amongst other plays the company produced Nat Turner, a hit play about the legacy of the 1831 slave revolt in the black community today.

NEEDTHEATER is an exciting new Los Angeles theater group in its inaugural season, devoted to investigating  fresh, original and invigorating works of art.  Under the artistic direction of Matt B. Wells, the group is dedicated to delivering a high-quality, provocative product that reverberates throughout the LA Basin with a much-needed theatrical noise.  needtheater’s productions function as social dialogue.  The company is dedicated to facilitating conversations between its artists and historically underserved audiences, with projects that focus on the experience of living and working in Los Angeles in the 21st century.  Needtheater’s Production History includes Horse Country by CJ Hopkins (“Pure gold.” - LA Weekly, 2006), the original physical-theater piece LaLaLa (performed at REDCAT, EdgeFest, and the A+D Museum), and Birdy by Naomi Wallace (“excellent…grabs you by the throat.” - LA Weekly, 2007). The company is currently performing a cycle of pieces examining the social impact of war.