SITI Company

Last updated
SITI Company
Siti logo institute.jpg
Type Theater company
Drama school
Active1992–2022
Location
New York City, New York and Saratoga Springs, New York
,
United States of America
Founders Anne Bogart
Tadashi Suzuki
Website SITI

SITI Company (founded as the Saratoga International Theater Institute, or SITI) was an ensemble-based theater company based in New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York. SITI was founded in 1992 by American director Anne Bogart and Japanese director Tadashi Suzuki, on the campus of Skidmore College to redefine and revitalize contemporary theater in the United States.

Contents

History

SITI Company's inaugural productions began in September 1992 with two adaptations of Euripides plays: Dionysus by the Suzuki Company of Toga and Orestes by Charles Mee, directed by Bogart. [1] Funding initially came from the Japan-United States Friendship Commission, Arts International and All Nippon Airways, according to then-executive producing director Stephen Nisbet. [2]

Originally envisioned as a summer institute in Saratoga Springs, New York, SITI has expanded to encompass a year-round program based in New York City, with a summer season in Saratoga. [3] The company believed that contemporary American theater must incorporate artists from around the world and learn from a cross-cultural exchange of dance, music, art, and performance experiences.

Co-founders Tadashi Suzuki (left) and Anne Bogart in 2017 Tadashi Suzuki and Anne Bogart at Symposium on the Suzuki Method with SITI Company.jpg
Co-founders Tadashi Suzuki (left) and Anne Bogart in 2017

Over their history, the company produced more than forty shows. [4] Several of these shows were made in collaboration with artists and companies in other disciplines, such as American Document with the Martha Graham Dance Company. [5] Other notable collaborators include the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, composer Julia Wolfe and Bang on a Can All-Stars, and choreographer Elizabeth Streb. [6] [7] [8]

In October 2020, SITI announced they would "transition" away from being a producing organization, a process they began in 2017, after their final productions in 2022, though they planned to continue offering classes. [3] At the end of 2022, SITI Company ceased both production and training activity. [9] [10]

Its final performances were of an original adaptation of A Christmas Carol at Bard College's Fisher Center. SITI maintains an online archive of digital materials on their website, while their physical archive has been transferred to Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Theatre Research Institute. [4]

In addition to Bogart, who was as co-artistic director alongside Leon Ingulsrud and Ellen Lauren, other members included playwright Charles Mee, scenic designer Neil Patel, and Tony Award-winning sound designer Darron L. West. Actors Jefferson Mays and KJ Sanchez were former members. [11]

Training

SITI is noted for combining the Viewpoints process of Anne Bogart with the Suzuki Method of Actor Training of Tadashi Suzuki. Both techniques are alternatives to the Stanislavski-based Method training which has dominated American stage and screen for generations.[ citation needed ] In SITI classes, company members who were not teaching would train alongside students. [12]

The company convened an annual four-week workshop at Skidmore College, from 1992 until 2020, enrolling 60 students annually. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshops were held virtually, including the final summer intensive in 2022. SITI also held workshops in New York City, and short-term residencies and workshops while on tour. [4]

In 2013, SITI Company launched a year-round conservatory program, which also offered training in Alexander technique, dramaturgy, and scene study. [12]

References

  1. ↑ Cummings, Scott T. (August 29, 2017). "Trans-Pacific Partnership". American Theatre. No. September 2017. Theatre Communications Group. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  2. ↑ Rice, Bill (June 19, 1992). "Opening plays set for SITI". The Daily Gazette.
  3. 1 2 Bahr, Sarah (2020-10-07). "SITI Company Announces Final Season". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  4. 1 2 3 Cummings, Scott T. (December 13, 2022). "Company First and Last: SITI Takes Its Final Bow". American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  5. ↑ Claudia, La Rocco (June 10, 2010). "Integrating Ensembles to Build a Hybrid Work". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  6. ↑ Burke, Siobahn (October 4, 2013). "When Parisians Stormed Out, and the Earth Trembled". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  7. ↑ Isherwood, Charles (December 3, 2015). "Review: In 'Steel Hammer,' a Man and a Train in a Race and a Legend". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  8. ↑ Kourlas, Gia (September 19, 2019). "What Happens When Extreme Action Meets Elusive Language?". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Training". siti.org. n.d. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Michelle Preston to Step Down From SITI as Company Sunsets". American Theatre. Theatre Communications Group. October 18, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  11. ↑ "About". siti.org. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Cohen, Stephanie (December 11, 2014). "14 Theatrical Plans to Change the World". American Theatre. No. January 2015. Theatre Communications Group. Retrieved December 1, 2025.


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