The Defiant Theatre [Yes, it used to have a “The” in the beginning!] began as the Electric Shakespeare Company in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois in 1991. The company performed at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus in the Armory Free Theatre, as well as The Station Theatre in Urbana. Though it is documented that the first play produced under the E. S. C. banner was Bent, earlier shows contributed to the forming of the company. The following is a list of all the plays produced by soon-to-be founders of Defiant Theatre.
Constantinople Smith by Charles L. Mee directed by Joe Foust at the Armory Free Theatre – 1990
Act Without Words II by Samuel Beckett directed by Joe Foust at the Armory Free Theatre – 1990
Bent by Martin Sherman directed by Christopher Johnson at the Armory Free Theatre – February 1991
Picnic on the Battlefield by Fernando Arrabal directed by Darren Critz at the Armory Free Theatre – April 1991
American Buffalo by David Mamet directed by Jennifer Cotteleer at the Armory Free Theatre – August 1991
Hamlet by William Shakespeare directed by Christopher Johnson at the Armory Free Theatre – February 1992
Mountain Language by Harold Pinter directed by Joe Foust at the Armory Free Theatre – 1992
The Quarantine* written and directed by Darren Critz at the Armory Free Theatre – April 1992
The Zoo Story by Harold Pinter directed by Linda Gillum at the Armory Free Theatre – 1992
Women and Wallace by Jonathan Marc Sherman directed by Lisa Rothschiller at the Armory Free Theatre – 1992
The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter directed by Joe Foust at the Station Theatre – 1992
Speed the Plow by David Mamet directed by Ron Beebe at the Armory Free Theatre – August 1992
Reverse Psychology by Charles Ludlam directed by Joe Foust at the Station Theatre – 1992
Funeral Games by Joe Orton directed by Christopher Johnson at the Armory Free Theatre – November 1992
Coriolanus by William Shakespeare directed by Christopher Johnson at the Armory Free Theatre – February 1993
Big Mother by Charles Dicenzo directed by Joe Foust at the Armory Free Theatre – 1993
Betrayal by Harold Pinter directed by Linda Gillum at the Armory Free Theatre – 1993
Psycho Beach Party by Charles Busch directed by Chris Kantowicz at the Armory Free Theatre – April 1993
Like Family* by Christopher Johnson directed by Joe Foust at the Armory Free Theatre – June 1993
Wait Until Dark by Frederick Knott directed by Joe Foust at the Station Theatre – 1993
* World Premiere