Today we’d like to introduce you to Prism Theatre Company.
Hi Prism, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Prism Theatre Company started from a partnership turned friendship between Producing Artistic Director Trish Brown and Producing Managing Director Joy Addler. After working together on several projects, they found themselves eating sushi and talking about what they could bring to the St. Louis theatre community. They began collaborating with other local artists to discuss what opportunities a new theatre company could provide. Many agreed that substantial opportunities for women and emerging artists, both onstage and off, were not robust. And thus, at a Starbucks in Webster Groves, Prism Theatre Company was born.
Prism’s mission is to promote the work of women and emerging artists, onstage and off, through producing both new and classic works that shine a light on the human condition for the purpose of uplifting it. Governed by our core values of kindness, inclusion, and collaboration, Prism provides a theatre company where artists from all walks of life can come together to explore our common humanity.
As Trish and Joy began their work of creating this company, they suddenly found themselves thrown into the middle of a worldwide pandemic. This caused them to pause and re-evalutate the overall live theatre scene. After strengthening their Board and their mission, Prism opened with a Festival of New Works in summer of 2021. Since that time, Prism’s “Spotlight On” series has been a cornerstone of programming, producing new works each year that shine a spotlight on different themes. The 2025 theme was Spotlight on…HOPE and past themes have included focuses on Women Writing, Emerging Artists, and YOU. These festivals provide local playwrights, poets, dancers, choreographers, and musicians the opportunity to showcase new work, sharing it with the St. Louis community. Prism also uses our Youth Ensemble in all our festivals.
We now produce one or two main-stage productions a year, in addition to a yearly Festival of New Works. Our upcoming production is Progress, a world premiere play by local playwright John Wolbers, opening July 3 at the Kranzberg Black Box.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The first obstacle was the worldwide pandemic! After surmounting that incredibly difficult time, Trish and Joy have found that the real obstacle has been space and funding. Prism has been fortunate to be a resident organization at the Kranzberg Blackbox. We have been incredibly grateful for that support. However, with funding being cut practically daily, and rental rates increasing yearly that exceed revenue, creating live theatre is becoming very difficult, especially for smaller companies like ours. Fortunately, this year we received a generous grant from The Peterson Foundation that allowed us to move forward with our 2026 programming. We also have a Board of Directors who are vibrant, forward-thinkers. We are deeply grateful to our Board and to all the donors who make it possible for us to continue to provide high-quality, professional theatre that shines a light on the work of women and emerging artists in the St. Louis community.
Personally I find the biggest obstacle I often face is the perception that you have to be a big personality to be a good director, especially if you’re a woman. I (Trish) also find that women are treated very differently as directors than men are. Theatre is still a male-dominated industry and it’s hard to combat that at times. Perceptions and behaviors are sometimes discouraging, but I have been grateful to have been able to work with a lot of amazing professionals over the years who are like-minded and who value people for who they really are rather than for personality. That’s also why I am so passionate about Prism – it’s the antithesis of what a good portion of the theatre world values.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I (Trish Brown) am a professional director, educator, and producer who has been involved in live theatre for over 25 years. During that time I have been privileged to direct over 30 productions, both professional and educational, throughout the US and in Canada. I am passionate about education and am currently the Chair and Professor of the Performing Arts Department at Principia College where I teach Acting and Directing. I specialize in the Chekhov acting technique, having studied with several Chekhov Master Teachers who were original Chekhov students. Something that sets me apart from other directors and teachers is that I finished two and a half years of an MFA Acting program before transferring to the MFA Directing program. While I loved acting (and still do!) and was very good at it, during my final year as an MFA Acting candidate I took a directing class and was very successful at that part of the creative process. I was asked by the head of the graduate program if I wanted to remain at the university for one additional year to focus on the Directing track instead. I chose to do that and I am so grateful I did. All this is to say that it sets me apart because I was able to receive exceptional actor training at a professional level before I became a professional director. I don’t think many people in this business have had that opportunity. Those combination of skills make me a very collaborative, actor-focused director who can work and teach from both skill sets. I am forever grateful for the graduate professors who saw a talent in me that opened into a career that was broader and more fulfilling than I ever would have imagined.
Joy Addler is an experienced stage manager and events professional with over ten years of experience in both fields, mostly here in St. Louis but also throughout the country. Joy holds a BFA in Stage Management from The Webster University Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts and an MBA from Washington University, where she currently works as an Events Manager within University Advancement. In this role, she plans and manages University events across the country. Over the past decade, she has worked as a stage manager at various theatres here in St. Louis, including The Muny, The Rep, Variety Theatre, New Jewish Theatre, and COCA, to name a few. She also spent four years as the Performing Arts Manager for Variety the Children’s Charity of St Louis, running their inclusive arts programs including chorus, dance, theatre summer camp, Variety Theatre, and the teen internship program. Though I’ve done a lot of things in my career that I love, I would have to say that I am most proud of Prism’s commitment to kindness, collaboration, and inclusiveness. While these are values that we have espoused since our inception, I am proud that they have remained true pillars of our work and how we operate. Because of this, we have been able to cultivate an exceptional community of people that believe in and support this mission. Theatre has the power to inspire and to heal, so it is vital to ensure our spaces are safe, kind, inclusive, and foster encouraging and fun experiences for artists and audiences alike.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My mentors have been those people who are creative artists who genuinely care about others and who use their art to make the world a better place. When Joy and I started Prism, we both wanted to provide a space where the true core values were kindness, inclusion, and collaboration. Both of us had challenging theatre experiences over the years, experiences where we felt we were either used in some way, or undervalued. We wanted to have a place where all artists would feel valued and where the core values we both live by as individuals would be expressed in every avenue of the way we run our company. After six years we can say that we both believe we have been successful in providing a safe, inclusive, collaborative, and kind space where the artists we work with have had positive and happy experiences. To me, that’s the big win.
As for advice, I always tell my students to listen carefully to how someone interviewing or auditioning them speaks. If they use the term “work for me”, that’s an indicator. I encourage them to instead gravitate toward opportunities where the term “work with me” is used.
Pricing:
- We always have discounted tickets for artists and especially for students. We also provide a pay what you can night at all our productions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.prismtheatrecompany.org
- Instagram: prism_theatre_co
- Facebook: PrismTheatreCompanySTL
Image Credits
Image in pink blazer is Joy Addler
Image in black shirt is Trish Brown
