20th Anniversary

Imagine there was no Musical Theatre Training for actors in New York City...

20 Years ago there wasn't.

Collaborative Arts Project 21, a.k.a. CAP21, was founded in 1993 by Frank and Eliza Ventura as a response to the need for in-depth musical theatre training.  20 years later, the conservatory is now internationally recognized as an institution that cultivates trained actors who sing and dance. 

Over 100 Alumni of CAP21's Conservatory Training Programs have appeared on Broadway, while hundreds more have been seen in film, television, national tours and Off-Broadway.

As a producing organization, CAP21 Theatre Company began in 1994 and continues to provide programming for new works. Programs include: The Writers Residency, The Artists Residency, The Roundtable Reading Series, The Monday Night Reading Series, and the Off-Off Broadway production of new plays and musicals. Last year, these programs further developed 28 new works, including the award-winning production of Southern Comfort, which earned CAP21 the GLAAD Award for Outstanding New York Theater. Additionally, numerous new works developed with The CAP21 Theatre Company have moved on to subsequent productions and workshops around the U.S. and three new musicals produced at CAP21 have been awarded the Jonathan Larson Grant Award.

Click here to read about what CAP21 has in store this year, our goals for the next 20 years, and how you can help.