site specific
socially resonant
NEW WORK

Founded by Anne Hamburger in 1985, En Garde Arts pioneered site-specific performance in New York City. For nearly four decades, En Garde has redefined where theater happens, transforming parks, piers, rooftops, office buildings, and unexpected spaces into stages that connect art and audience in deeply visceral ways. Through bold, original productions by visionary artists like Anne Bogart, Tina Landau, Reza Abdoh, and Mac Wellman, En Garde has built a legacy of theatrical innovation that places location at the heart of storytelling.

En Garde Arts produces new work that is site-specific, socially resonant, and driven by a sense of place, creating experiences that immerse audiences in the city around them. Through our developmental programs, Uncommon Voices, The Joan D. Firestone Award and Playdate, we nurture new work with both early career and mid-career artists who are investigating new forms of storytelling. Today, we are developing 5 to 7 new projects every year with change-makers including Samora la Perdida, Irina Kruzhilina, Jared Mezzocchi and others.

our programs

Uncommon Voices is a multi-phase, multi-year commissioning and developmental residency program that supports artists as they develop productions around the intersection of theatre and social change. EGA supports these projects throughout their development, from ideation to production, and builds holistic, long-term relationships with commissioned artists. EGA scaffolds the developmental process with a framework of support bespoke to each artist’s needs and provides financial support, dramaturgical feedback, workshops, and public showings to help artists strategize and achieve their long-term goals. This process opens doors to new producing partnerships that expand our reach to communities around New York City and help our artists reach the full potential of their creative visions.

Uncommon Voices has a two-phase commissioning process; each phase includes developmental workshops and free work-in-progress showings open to the public with a suggested donation. In Phase One, EGA provides recipients with a space for development, a production stipend, and marketing support for a public showing. Phase Two of Uncommon Voices is dedicated to artists and projects that show great promise for future production, deeply align with EGA’s methodology, and demonstrate a strong ability to utilize the resources provided. In Phase Two, artists receive extensive customized development and production support.

PHASE TWO UNCOMMON VOICES ARTISTS IN DEVELOPMENT

Jared Mezzocchi
73 SECONDS

Irina Kruzhilina
NOTICE TO APPEAR

Samora La Perdida
SPANGLISH SH!T

The Joan D. Firestone Commissioning Fund, named in honor of the fierce arts advocate, longtime En Garde Arts board member, and friend, Joan D. Firestone, is a five-year initiative that supports mid-career theatre artists creating work at the intersection of theatre and social change. Each year, a selected artist receives an unrestricted award, which may be used in any way that meaningfully supports the development of a new theatrical project.

En Garde Arts presents a public developmental reading of the commissioned work—or work-in-progress within 18 months of the award. The organization holds no rights to future productions of the commissioned work, ensuring full creative ownership remains with the artist.

get to know joan

“I truly believe that if it weren’t for the incredible philanthropic abilities of Joan D. Firestone, En Garde Arts wouldn’t exist today. In addition to her fierce determination to support the arts in any way she can, she is above all an extraordinary human being and I am honored to launch this fund in her name.” - Anne Hamburger

“Joan has been a nurturing voice and unbelievable champion of artists for decades. I’ve long admired her generosity and genuine commitment to supporting theater artists who are making work that is socially engaged, complex, and endeavors to have a meaningful dialogue with audiences.” – Lynn Nottage

“Joan Firestone has devoted her life to supporting artists and making the arts in America more innovative, inclusive, and excellent. She has inspired me throughout my career and this groundbreaking new Fund is a fitting tribute to her transformative impact.”
- David Henry Hwang

SELECTION COMMITTEE

Kim Bendheim

Linda Chapman

Anne Hamburger

David Henry Hwang

Lynn Nottage

JOAN D. FIRESTONE AWARD RECIPIENTS

Kristina Wong
2022

Taibi Magar
2023

Irina Kruzhilina
2024

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE GENEROUS DONORS THAT MADE THIS FUND POSSIBLE

$15,000 and above: Leon Lowenstein Foundation; $10,000-$14,999: Agnes Gund, David M. Milch Foundation, David Richenthal; $5,000-$9,999: Arthur DeGroat, Ron Guttman, Anne Maffei, Meg Walker & Morey Bean; $2,000-$4,999: Deborah Dugan, Penny Brandt Jackson, Gerry Ohstrom; $1,000-$1,999: Cynthia Argo, Kim & Stewart Beck, Mimi & Denis Conway, Dorothy Dunn, Anne Hamburger, Claire O’Cleireacain, Joanne Ramos, Daryl Roth; Up to $999: Marilyn Abalos, Catherine Burns, Paula Dagen, Marylyn Dintenfass, Sarah Habermann, David Hamlin, Ari Handel, Marianna Houston, Lynn Loacker, Sheila Rae Ross, Michael Schubert, Marlene Siff, Debra Simon, Roger Skelton, Marianne Watson.

Playdate and Playdate FEST are two dynamic branches of En Garde Arts’ newest performance initiative—distinct in format, united in purpose. Both are rooted in a commitment to community, creativity, and connection.

Playdate offers an intimate, grassroots platform for early-career artists. Hosted in a lush Brooklyn backyard and curated by members of the En Garde Arts community, each evening features works-in-progress that invite risk-taking, dialogue, and creative exchange. These gatherings offer a relaxed and supportive environment— with drinks, snacks, and spirited conversation—where new ideas are shared and relationships are formed.

Playdate FEST is a bold, public celebration of performance in the heart of Brooklyn. Set in Abolitionist Place Park—Brooklyn’s newest green space—the festival showcases some of today’s most exciting and boundary-pushing artists, known for creating work that resonates deeply with our social and cultural moment. Curated by En Garde Arts, the event invites neighbors, families, and arts lovers to gather for an afternoon of music, performance, and collective connection.

Together, Playdate and Playdate FEST reflect the dual spirit of En Garde Arts: intimate and generative, expansive and communal. Both are invitations to gather, to witness, and to imagine, offering artists and audiences new ways to connect, create, and celebrate.

land acknowlegment

our values

En Garde Arts acknowledges that we are on the unceded ancestral lands of the Lenape people, the original stewards of this land. Our site-specific theater practice is deeply rooted in a love for the unique stories that each location holds. We recognize that the land itself is a living archive, carrying the histories, cultures, and traditions of the Lenape and all indigenous peoples who have called this place home. As we create theater in diverse spaces throughout the city, we honor the stories embedded in the land and are committed to respecting its significance, ensuring our work amplifies these histories and reflects the communities we engage with.

edia statement

At En Garde Arts, we are committed to creating an environment rooted in equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. As a company dedicated to community-centric theater, we work to elevate voices that have been historically underrepresented. We prioritize the stories and contributions of artists whose experiences are often excluded from mainstream narratives. By fostering inclusive spaces, we aim to amplify these voices and ensure our work is reflective of the diverse communities we serve.

our team

Anne hamburger

Executive Artistic Director

Anne Hamburger (she/her) Founded En Garde Arts in 1985. As Executive Artistic Director, she is responsible for pioneering site-specific theatre in New York, using its streets and historic landmarks as her stage. Hamburger has produced the work of artists that are now internationally renowned: Anne Bogart, Charles L. Mee, Tina Landau, Jonathan Larson and Reza Abdoh, with large-scale predominantly outdoor work. As its Executive Artistic Director, her leadership model is highly collaborative and anti-hierarchical while leading the creative and strategic vision of the company. She is committed to nurturing a new generation of theatrical risk-takers, encouraging artists to explore and rigorously experiment with their creative practice. Her relationship with artists extends beyond the stage—offering mentorship, friendship, and a commitment to their creative and personal growth. For her work, Hamburger has won 6 Obie Awards, 2 Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lee Reynolds Award and the Exceptional Merit in Media Award from The National Political Women’s Caucus. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama and is the proud mother of two children Hannah and Owen Jenney.

Anne Hamburger (She/Her)

Executive Artistic Director
Spencer armstrong (he/him)

Managing Producer
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Sophie Siegel-warren (she/her)

Development Manager &
Associate Producer
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Amanda Cooper (She/HER)

Consulting General Manager
Isabelle Holmes (She/her)

Business Manager
John Clinton Eisner (he/him)

Creative Producer in Residency
Max Mooney (she/her)

Assistant Producer
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