Founded in 1993 by David Dower, Z Space has become one of the nation's leading laboratories for the development of new voices, new works and new directions in American theater. By creating a space where all types of artistic development can occur side by side, Z Space has become what Berkeley Repertory Theatre's Artistic Director Tony Taccone describes as "a virtual bastion of creativity, a bubbling cauldron of new work, and a safe haven for unfettered creative expression." Given the nature of development as a "behind the scenes" endeavor, the Studio's impact is often invisible to the general public. However, whether they know it or not, over 100,000 people across the country experience theater from artists that developed at the Studio through our three main programs (Word for Word Performing Arts Company, Z Development, and Youth Arts). Z Space employs hundreds of artists each year in the process of developing new works -- creating work for a diverse audiences in fields as varied as solo performance, ensemble theater, puppetry, acrobatics, dance, and multimedia production.
