Our nascent collaboration, Akadēmeia Theatre, is named after and draws inspiration from Plato’s famous school of philosophy in ancient Greece.  This company is dedicated to combining formal and informal education through theatre.  We embrace diverse viewpoints and philosophies and believe that theatre is a format that allows direct connection through live interaction and therefore wonderful opportunities for pre- and post-show discussions about important artistic, cultural, and social themes and issues.

Having spent the summer with Glory Kadigan at La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors (2012), Lydia Fort was inspired by the vision of directing a production that raises awareness and financial support for worthy social causes in an ecologically-conscious environment.  Returning to the United States and her work as an Assistant Professor of Theatre, she excitedly approached her colleague Kathleen Potts about forming a theatre company that would align their passions for social causes with those of Planet Connections by producing a play for the Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2013, (Miss Nowhere Diner).  As academics and theatre artists, Fort and Potts both believe in combining theatre with learning and welcome a chance to further educate themselves and their audiences about social causes and minimizing one’s carbon footprint.

Akadēmeia Theatre’s premiere production Miss Nowhere Diner, written by Kathleen Potts, was the winner of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival’s Lorraine Hansberry Award, and published by The Dramatic Publishing Company.  Directed by Lydia Fort, this humorous yet serious play explores such universals as poverty, addiction, relationships, faith, promises, the love of truth and the truth of love.

In addition to full length productions Akadēmeia Theatre is committed to developing new works through staged readings, such as The Guides written by Lionelle Hamanaka and directed by Angélica Rivera.

Our follow-up production at Planet Connections Theatre Festivity 2016 is Alex Polanco’s The Illusion of Love, directed by Danielle C. N. Zappa and dramaturged by Kathleen Potts. Ekatarina Lalo calls the play, “…an exciting excursion into men’s minds…”  (Review Fix) 

(Co-Founder and Managing Director of Akadēmeia Theatre) Dr. Kathleen Potts

(Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Akadēmeia Theatre) Lydia Fort