What's your mission?

Encouraging Future Generations of Artists: Working with local schools to develop and encourage the next generation of young artists and creators to become Alchemy’s next leaders.

Creative Workshops: At our rehearsal space, we aim to take on the mentorship of those looking to improve or learn new skills. Classes like audio design and maintenance, Shakespeare workshops, Improv workshops, and stage combat basics will be conducted by industry professionals, and more.

Doing More with Less: As a theatre company of humble beginnings, we strive to get the most out of our limited space by using our creativity to provide experiences audiences can’t find anywhere else. We challenge ourselves to find creative solutions, adapt, and grow as artists and a company.

Unique and Personal Audience Experiences: Offering our audiences a performance that fundamentally changes the way they see theatre is our goal. We also set out to include our audience in the theatre process, so they can gain new insight and excitement for our craft by being directly involved, both onstage and off.

Finding a Home: Alchemy has spent its entire life without a permanent home. Our goal is to find a community in need of the performing arts and finally put down roots in a place where we can not only grow as a theatre company, but benefits the lives of everyone in that community.

Be Heard: Dedicated to advancing the art and experiences of theater in our own communities; we strive to always work with integrity, quality, and diverse viewpoints, which include the viewpoints of people of color, to not only foster the growth of many young minority artists, but also tell their stories.

New Works, Old Works, and Original Works: To provide with each season, new works that give audiences experiences they’ve never seen, older works that remind of our artistic history, and original works to cultivate the new playwrights of our generation.

A Theatre that Supports other Theatres: Attending performances at other community theatres and performing arts centers as a part of our #AlchemyAt program, with the belief that supporting fellow theatres strengthens the artistic community.

Online Presence and Take Home Feel: Alchemy is dedicated to creating a friendly and inviting online presence through new social media campaigns on Facebook and Instagram, as well as a new online store to bring a little bit of Alchemy home with you.

New Avenues of Performance: We are committed to developing our on-going series: our new Improv Troupe, the Rude Alchemists; growth of our environmental and immersive theatre performances, Alchemy Du Fromage; and our Bard Bar Nights of hilarity, DrinkSpeare.

Identification: To find our voice as an upstanding theatre company, we strive to uphold a certain set of values and principles. An identity that our community can associate with Alchemy that inspires and nurtures.

Is there a story behind Alchemy Theatre Company's name?

Both the name and the logo came from one of our Founding Company Members, Jesse Runde. When trying to come up with a name, we eventually took inspiration from one of the tattoos on Jesse's wrists, the alchemical sign for gold, which was the highest purpose of alchemy; transmuting, or changing, ordinary metals into the most perfect metal, gold. Stephen John then drafted the letter A with the alchemical sign for gold incorporated.

Alchemy is a process of transforming, creating, or combining individual items through effort, passion, and dedication, into a finished product that, to others, would seem magical. That is what Alchemy is, and that is what we believe in; that it takes all elements: lighting, actors, sets, and audience, to make the magic of theatre a reality.

What kind of productions could we expect from your organization?

Audience can always expect us to put on our Summer Shakespeare. Beyond that we always try to introduce our audiences to shows that they might not be familiar with but that have a great message or merit. Musicals, classics, comedy, drama, experimental, absurd; as long as it's theatre challenges audiences and ourselves artistically to push the envelope of what can be imagined.

We are also committed to developing our on-going series: our new Improv Troupe, the Rude Alchemists; growth of our environmental and immersive theatre performances, Alchemy Du Fromage; and our Bard Bar Nights of hilarity, DrinkSpeare.

What's your origin story?

Alchemy Theatre Company was founded in 2012 by Cory John, Jeff Lowe, Jesse Runde, Stephen John, and Tiffany Berg. The ensemble met working on productions around Orange County and decided to band together out of a desire to diversify the scope of theatre generated in their local community.

Produced in 2013, our first season drew upon the team's complimentary skills to include three unique shows that have served to define their signature style as a community-conscious itinerant theatre company staging uncommon acts of theatre in locations all over Southern California.

How is your Alchemy Theatre Company different today?

Today, Alchemy is dedicate to doing even more every day. Originally, Alchemy was part of a fiscal partnership with OneOC. Today, Alchemy is now its own Non-Profit. Our supporters, donors, and online presence have also increased. Alchemy has also invested in the local theatre community by working with even more theatres and being a member of the OC Theatre Guild.

The company is now primarily run by a small board and a group of dedicated associate company members. Together, all the members of Alchemy work to build toward our future, including the very near future of having our own physical space after years of being a traveling group.

Outside of your main productions, do you offer other programs for the community?

Yes! We are committed to developing our on-going series: our new Improv Troupe, the Rude Alchemists; growth of our environmental and immersive theatre performances, Alchemy Du Fromage; and our Bard Bar Nights of hilarity, DrinkSpeare.

Additionally, we aim to take on the mentorship of those looking to improve or learn new skills. Classes like audio design and maintenance, Shakespeare workshops, Improv workshops, and stage combat basics will be conducted by industry professionals, and more.

What surprises you the most about producing theatre in your community?

We are pleasantly surprised at the warmth, support, and invitation of our local theatre community to allow us, who don't have a home yet, to rent out their spaces and welcome us into their homes. For many theatres, handing over the reins to a new director or production team can be stressful enough, even more so to let a theatre company completely run your physical space.

We cannot express enough the gratitude we have for the theatre companies that have opened their arms and doors to us to make us feel like we have a purpose and truly belong.
What are your short and long term goals?

Short term, we hope to continue to produce free online theatre to create opportunities for individuals who cannot afford a night off or a night out to see stories that should be seen by our community. Short term we also plan to begin our workshops, Improv Troupe, the Rude Alchemists and DrinkSpeare. We also hope to improve our efforts in supporting and telling BIPOC stories with our Be Heard Round Table Series. This includes ensuring Alchemy is a more welcome place to everyone in our community.

Long Term, our biggest goal is to improve our donor relations, media presence, city partnerships, and most importantly having a physical theatrical home.
How would people get more involved in your organization?

If anyone would like to get involved with Alchemy they can reach out by e-mailing info@alchemytheatre.com This includes directors who would like to work, playwrights who need their plays read, designers, media pros, anyone and everyone!
Name one last thing you want people to know about Alchemy Theatre Company.
We are doing theatre online during Covid-19 free to the audience. Please check us out at: www.facebook.com/alchemytheatrecompany