Cockroach Theatre was founded in 2002 out of the need and desire to create powerful, exocative theatre. The original concept was to produce "new and neglected" works- either by emerging playwrights, or simply to locate and produce great plays that have gone unnoticed. Cockroach Theatre was formed. Cockroach Theatre exists to satisfy a need for defiant theatre for both artists and audiences. Defiant (adj) "boldly resisting an opposing force"- Cockroach Theatre has made it's mission to produce this breed of theatre in the form of new and exciting works. We are resisting the idea that theatre is a stagnant and tired art form, having faith that the performance art of theatre continues to survive because of the ability to reinvent itself through the ages. People who appreciate theatre will appreciate a Cockroach Theatre Production.

We have produced theatre for a very supportive and gracious audience in Las Vegas. Additionally, we have travelled and contributed performances in national & international festivals, and have been building on those experiences to support the growing arts culture of our great city. Starting in the Fall of 2006, we have made a larger goal of giving back to the youth in our community the gift of the imagination. In an age of information and quickly changing technology, and a youth that is more prone to use a search engine than a library, it becomes more important for us to impress upon them the importance of literacy, imagination, self expression, telling a story, and how to relate to other human beings in an honest and self-respecting manner. We are confident that the work we are doing with the city's youth will help to build a foundation of critical thinking, collaboration, confidence, and fun!

In the beginning it was a flippant concept of surviving our audience and an anticipation to performing for only insects at midnight shows and of course, "In the end, there is nothing left but Cockroaches and Theatre, and the stories they tell each other." This has come to have a deeper meaning in the recent years. To survive in Las Vegas as an arts organization is not without its challenges. Luckily, with a tough exterior, strong resolve, and the ability to be resourceful, we can confidently count ourselves among the living, thriving, and growing organizations that will help sustain the American Theatre into an uncertain and sometimes uneasy future.

-William Adamson