The Dare Project began in April 2006 when three members of taxdeductible theatre stumbled upon a method of inspiring new work: dare the writer. 

That night, over shots of tequila, they each dared another to write a ten-minute play.  They were free to write whatever they liked, so long as it was true to the dare.  Two months later, these three plays were presented as the first Dare Project.  Since that time, The Dare Project has grown into one of the fundamental ways in which we pursue our mission.

Here’s how it works: Each writer is dared to write a ten-minute play.  The dare can be anything—a genre, a line of dialogue, a character—as long as it challenges the writer.  Once dared, a writer has a month to write, and then a month to rehearse.  Then, ready or not, the play is presented in front of a packed house as a one-night-only event. 

The Dare Project has become a laboratory for collaborative artists to develop a play from the raw idea all the way through a finished production.  We expect everyone to put the play before themselves—to work collectively to pursue the dare.

Working this way is risky, it’s bold, it’s daring… and it’s not always perfect.  But it is worth a shot.