Theatre X
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Theatre X was an American theatre company based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Until its demise due to financial difficulties in 2004, it was one of the oldest continuously operating experimental theatre ensembles in the U.S.
The group was founded in 1969 as an informal workshop, by a group of UW-Milwaukee faculty and students, and became a professional company by 1971, touring throughout the United States and Europe. It was named for the algebraic symbol x, meaning an unknown quantity. Much of its early work was created improvisationally as an ensemble, with influences including The Living Theatre and Jerzy Grotowski.
Two of its founding members went on to form The Independent Eye. Willem Dafoe was another original member, and musician Victor DeLorenzo of The Violent Femmes acted with the group at times.
Theatre X won a 1978 Obie Award for set design and lighting design, for the New York production of their original play A Fierce Longing, based on the life of Yukio Mishima.