our history

CW

“Central Works probably sets the highest standard in the Bay Area for consistently intelligent, provocative and relevant drama.” -- Huffington Post

At Central Works we make plays. For more than two decades we have played a vital role in our community, supporting local artists and bringing affordable, provocative world premiere plays to Bay Area audiences. Now in our 22nd season, we develop challenging new works presented in an intimate chamber of the Julia Morgan designed Berkeley City Club.

Jan Zvaifler and Søren Oliver founded Central Works in 1991 as an actor-driven ensemble. In 1997, the company produced its first collaboratively developed new play. Since then, current co-directors Gary Graves and Jan Zvaifler have produced over 30 world premieres using our own distinctive process, the Central Works Method.

In 2007, the East Bay Express named Central Works "Best Small Theater Company," describing our work as "consistently smart, thought-provoking and unflinching: theater for people who want to stretch their brains and have their assumptions challenged."

We received the 2010 Paine Knickerbocker Award for Outstanding Achievement by the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

Our work draws its inspiration from current political events, history and literature. We seek out provocative themes and topics, for example:

  • The John Walker Lindh story in Enemy Combatant, “a most complex and vital piece...riveting” (Deborah Giattina, San Francisco Bay Guardian, 2005).

  • Shadow Crossing, “Questions of immigration, law, justice, gay civil rights and border politics face off to provocative effect in Central Works' world premiere of Brian Thorstenson's drama" (Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle, 2006).

  • Dostoevsky’s The Grand Inquisitor, “a soul-scouring…compelling drama that probes themes about faith, compassion and expediency in our time” (Robert Hurwitt, San Francisco Chronicle, 2005).

  • Every Inch a King, taking the daughters of King Lear as the departure point for a contemporary comedy about family dynamics and aging, "A sharp, dark comedy played with incisive intensity” (Jack Tucker, Contra Costa Times, 2002).

  • Machiavelli’s The Prince, “a smart exploration of politics and ethics” (Chris Jenson, San Francisco Weekly, 2009).

  • Most recently, Reduction in Force – an economic comedy, “Not only is the sly humor sensational – this is a riveting and mesmerizing play” (Lee Hartgrave, BeyondChron, 2011).

At Central Works, we take risks. We commit to a project from inception to world-premiere production. We fearlessly embrace edgy, controversial issues.