Supporting Our Community of Theatre Artists

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Central LA East LA San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The arts are in a peculiar position in Los Angeles at the moment. Even as major studios cut positions and filming moves out of state, the Los Angeles Regional Consortium’s 2025 report estimated that the “Arts and Entertainment” field would grow in LA County by 13,000 jobs through 2028, an increase of nearly 10%. Amidst this shifting field, many actors, directors, and writers lack consistent, accessible opportunities for creative expression, not to mention chances to hone their craft and build a professional network. Writers are often asked to pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to participate in workshops, while actors and directors are often forced to work for free or “for exposure” in order to break through into the industry.

Over the last seven years, Public Assembly has refined a radically accessible model for writers. Anyone who has seen one of our performances can submit a pitch for one of our eight annual original shows. We do not even charge a submission fee, which sets us apart from virtually every other playwriting or screenwriting development program of note.
The three strongest submissions are selected each month, and their respective writers are then ushered through a free, professionally-staffed program. At the end of the process, their work is produced at no cost to them and put up in front of a packed house.
Between selection and performance, over a hundred professional and amateur artists play a role in bringing these performances to the stage, and currently do so for free. Three company members curate each performance, overseeing every aspect of the production and providing invaluable mentorship to all artists involved in the process. Directors and actors alike are asked to commit to a month of readings and rehearsals culminating in the one-night performance.
These artists participate out of love for the craft and for the benefit of our audiences, but do so on limited resources. Nearly all of our artists earn less than the LA County median household income of $86,587. By paying these artists in alignment with stage-industry standards, we remove potential economic barriers to participation and encourage a wider array of new community members to join us for the first time.

In a moment where the performing arts are increasingly seen as rarefied and irrelevant due to high ticket prices, we hope that Public Assembly will serve as a model for accessible, timely, and exciting community theatre across Los Angeles County. We also hope that our program will serve as an incubator of talent, helping to develop a new generation of theater voices whose works will be performed throughout the county and throughout the country. Already several of our alumni have gone on to write for television, publish plays, perform on Broadway, or become professional educators in the arts, crediting their Public Assembly experience as formative and essential. We hope to add to their number, particularly among those new to the theatre or who were previously unable to access opportunities for performance.