Who We Are
Mission Statement
Plowshares Theatre Company preserves, presents, and produces African American experiences that challenges minds and builds community.
Vision Statement
Plowshares Theatre Company seeks to set a national standard for ambitious programming, engaging with our audience, and serving as a leader within our community for the collective development of all. Our vision begins with the artist and ends with the audience. Our challenge is to nurture both.
Our Core Values
Plowshares Theatre Company brings to life passionate stories, plays and programs told through the prism of African American life celebrating enduring themes that affirm, exhibit and inspire our shared human experience.
1
Affirm
We share the story of our ancestors and pass the lessons learned on to the next generation.
2
Educate
We are a home where the most talented emerging and established artists imagine, nurture, and realize their best work for the enjoyment of our audience.
3
Inspire
Our productions, outreach, and education programs use theatre to unleash the untapped potential in all who experience our work.
Our Team
Gary Anderson
Gary Anderson is Producing Artistic Director of Plowshares Theatre Company. Mr. Anderson is a member of the National Advisory Committee of the Black Seed, a first-ever national strategic plan to create impact for Black theater institutions. A 2016 Kresge Artist Fellow, he is a noted expert in Black Theatre. Among his awards is the Alain Locke Cultural Arts Award from The Friends of African and African American Art, Detroit Institute of Arts; the 2002 Michiganian of the Year Award from The Detroit News; and The Lawrence DeVine Award for Outstanding Contribution from The Detroit Free Press. Anderson has served on the board of the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance (META), CultureSource, Black Theatre Network, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the National Conference on African American Theatre (NCAAT).
2020-2022
Board of Trustees
Stephen Johnson, Chairman
Detroit Public Schools
Lucius Vassar, Secretary
Cinnaire
Judith Booker, Treasurer
Plymouth United Church of Christ
Dr. Addell Anderson
Foodcorp, Michigan
Gary Anderson, Producing Artistic Director
Plowshares Theatre Company
Lauren Hood
Deep Dive Detroit
Patricia L. Millender
Plymouth United Church of Christ
Scott Norman
Actor
Samuel H. Thomas, Jr.
Board Members Emeritus
What They're Saying
Simon R. Green | Theater Сritic
Denis Diderot | Reviewer
Alexander Ostrovsky | Playwright
Interested in supporting Plowshares Theatre?
It provides a stage for those who never had one. It provides a platform for those who need one. It shines a spotlight on lessons learned by our ancestors. And it shines a light forward for the next generation to follow. It creates a safe space to start a dialogue and a place for the talent of Detroit to rise up and inspire.