Believing that both theatres and their audiences share a concern for the sustainability of their communities, the US-based Green Theater Initiative seeks, firstly, to inspire theatres to incorporate environmental concerns in their planning and operations and, secondly, to help them in doing so. It is a centralised resource where theatre managers and theatre professionals of all stripes can go to learn about colleagues’ efforts, discover methods and means of reducing their environmental impact, find other resources that will assist them in that quest, and discuss their own questions, concerns and efforts.

To date, a number of forward-looking theatre professionals have taken up the torch of greening their practices; however, they are often unaware of others’ efforts and unsure of the steps they can take. The Green Theater Initiative, via its webpage and its bi-weekly newsletter, serves as a one-stop shop for both concerns.

The Initiative was founded in early 2008 by Gideon Banner, a professional actor living in New York City who was instrumental in the founding of Blue Man Group’s environmental committee. He has performed with Blue Man Group internationally and across the US.