mtp!

mtp! came along when Clare Mottola got a thought in her head that she couldn’t seem to shake. Clare: “Hmmmmm. What if I started a theatre company that supported the community by giving artists an opportunity to do their thing?” Sounds simple enough. Lots of that kinda thing can be found. But Clare seemed to think there was more to it. Clare: “You know, what if this theatre company wasn’t about a set company per se, but was supported by a revolving group of artists that needed the chance to get some face time with an audience regardless of style, genre, experience level, age, ethnicity, or any of that stuff?” That Clare, she does like to dream big. That’s kind of a lot to take on. So being the connected little woman that she is, she roped in some other artists to help her out. So on a Sunday in 1998, perched high atop the Empire State building, there was a meeting of the minds and mtp! was born.

Think of us as an intramural arts company. Whether it’s bringing art to intercity youth with a summer class, or helping artists expose themselves to a larger audience, we want to give our community a venue and a reason to create. Teamwork and a supportive environment are sometimes found lacking when you live in a city teeming with artists competing to get into the game. Well, we’ve decided to turn the rat race into a tag team. Giving artists an opportunity to hook up with other artists to make their work available to an audience. To create a community of people who are interested in developing art on a continual and regular basis. mtp! strives to offer opportunities, and yes, sometimes a kick in the pants, to artists by giving them an audience to create for and a reason to create. Fear of failure, not knowing how to get produced, not having the funds to produce and not having the network of people to help are overwhelming obstacles, but they don’t have to be. That’s where we come in. A big, fat community of people who want to make sure the good stuff doesn’t get lost in the shuffle, or worse yet, never makes it into the shuffle. mtp! wants you to create everyday. All the time. Because when you create you become an invested, passionate, cognizant, empathetic, aware, agile-minded human being. That sometimes makes other people the same, through experiencing art. And that’s an amazing thing. We need more of that. Don’t you think?

CHERRY PICKING turned 10 in 2009. Don't you want your anthology of the best short plays that have hit the streets of the naked city? CHERRY PICKING: AN ANTHOLOGY features scripts, commentary, history and more. Order your copy today by emailing cherrypickingnyc@gmail.com. All the cool kids are doing it. These are a one-of-a-kind chance to own a piece of the cherry pie. For only 25 bucks, who could resist?

donations to the company are TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
donations to mtp! are guaranteed to make you feel good and look good and smell good and…