Meet The Team
Our Mission, Vision, & Story
Murmuration Theatre Co was created to move forward in three directions: to spotlight unsung creators and artists; to make art that connects with and materially helps our community; and to build connections within the independent theatre community.​
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As early-career creatives grapple with the crash isolation of COVID lockdowns, we hear more and more that it's difficult to find community.​ The "professional" world of theatre is an opaque (and often exclusionary) industry; opportunities to learn the basics or work on upping your skill level are scarce—and often prohibitively expensive.
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We want to move towards a mutual support model of independent theater. Big commercial ventures lean on existing IP and high ticket prices, but the future of independent theater will be propelled by intra-organization relationships, scrappier productions with smaller budgets and lower ticket prices that make theater more accessible to the general public.
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We want to provide demonstrable value with our art: we prioritize timely pieces that facilitate partnerships with community organizations. By putting the needs of NYC residents at the center of our programming, we open doors to build conversations, coordinate educational events, and provide needed resources.
In The News
you are seen by Bella Hathorne, 2025
"...several of these moments—how far these girls feel they must go to be seen—could be scenes from a horror movie...you are seen’s sequences of sisterhood are chilling, dark, and a silent aura envelops the space. I notice I’m suddenly aware of how loud my breathing is; I don’t hear a single person shifting in their chairs."
— review by Kendra Jones (The Front Row Center)
"The ensemble is tight and plays well off of one another as a group of college sophomores in a support group...very rich characters with distinct voices...Murmuration Theatre made me nostalgic for a time in my early theatre life when anything was possible. There is such a love of theatre evident in their work."
— review by Nicole Jesson (Theatre Beyond Broadway)
Murmuration at
Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse
Creative Director Interview
Showcase Feature in
TimeOutNYC
Why are we called "Murmuration"?
Literally speaking, "Murmuration" means
1. (v) the act of murmuring (intimate communications)
2. (n) large groups of birds, usually starlings, that all fly together and change direction together.
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In one sense, Murmuration is a play on words. Theater is largely a verbal art form, our purpose is to start conversations, and we're all coming into the room to connect.
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The second definition is a little more abs​​tract.
From Wonderopolis:
"As they fly, the starlings in a murmuration seem to be connected together. They twist and turn and change direction at a moment's notice...Scientists believe murmurations are similar to other systems, such as crystals forming, avalanches, metals becoming magnetized and liquids turning to gases. These systems are 'on the edge,' which means they're ready to be completely transformed in an instant...Regardless of the size of the murmuration, all the birds seem to be connected to the same network."
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The idea of an interconnected network: like a synaptic net, a dance, or a gymnastic pyramid
The idea of following each other and not orienting around a leader is also important to us:
flowing shifts in leadership, of community action and mutual uplift,
agility and responsiveness to the environment,
& continuing to adjust to the present moment​​​
Poet Linda France on murmurations as an inspiration point:
"I wanted to borrow their natural capacity for shared purpose, communication, and movement to embody what human beings might be capable of if they worked together to address the biggest ever challenge facing the planet and all its species and systems — the perfect storm of the climate emergency, mass extinction and an unprecedented global pandemic…"