Art plus Information plus Conversation = Social Change: A Model for Financially Viable Theater

In a time when theater companies are struggling after the COVID-19 pandemic, how is Atlanta's Out of Hand Theater booming? Echoing frameworks of Arts-Based Community Engagement and Business Model Innovation in the arts, Out of Hand produces theater on social issues for and with community partners. Their programs combine theater with other social interactions and take place in homes, businesses, schools and houses of worship. Pairing theater with information and conversation increases understanding, empathy and action around social justice, raises their visibility, and provides new income streams, making theater financially viable and increasing its community value while serving the greatest community needs.