The Chocolate Factory Theater in LIC is well-regarded by its peers

Image source: Chocolate Factory

The Wall Street Journal recently did a little experiment – they “asked 40 New York-based theater artists to anonymously distribute $1 million each in imaginary funds to other local artists, ensembles, theaters and institutions.” WSJ then took a look at the candidates and then made a top 10 list. A couple things became evident in this experiment, noted as “trends” by the article’s author. The Chocolate Factory Theater in LIC did very well, and ranked #2.

Image source: WSJ

There were many requests to allocate these resources to “devised-theater,” which is “an emerging style wherein shows are developed not from a polished script, but through a collaborative process involving performers.” This is a very organic way of putting together a show, and is considered to be a non-traditional process, but one that greatly benefits the artist.

Funding for artists came with no parameters, but gifts to organized theaters did. Additionally, those artists and ensembles that made it into the top 10 have shows that are opening soon, so the observation was made that these were chosen because they were in the forefront of the minds of the decision makers.

In any case, we were delighted to see that The Chocolate Factory Theater in LIC was included! They were given 1.583 million in imaginary bucks. Here’s the WSJ’s blurb about the theater:

Situated in Long Island City, this 5,000-square-foot, bare-bones theater run by artistic director Brian Rogers and executive director Sheila Lewandowski focuses on experimental multidisciplinary work by emerging artists. Said a veteran, award-winning director, “Brian and Sheila have a unique and simple agenda: the needs, wants and desires of the artists they present. Anybody in his right mind would declare ‘that’s no way to run a railroad.’ Fortunately for New York experimental-theatre makers, Brian and Sheila are not in their right minds; they are of a higher mind and need to be supported for it.”

Nice to see The Chocolate Factory Theater is so well regarded by its peers.

Funding Theater With Imagination [WSJ]
LIC for Brooklynites – 17 fun things to see and do [QNYC]