Founded in March 1998 by writer-director Michael Smith and director Maurice Lord, Genesis West is a Santa Barbara theatre company devoted to the work of contemporary playwrights. To date, Genesis West has presented fourteen plays in Santa Barbara: “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh, Sam Shepard’s “The God of Hell” and “Buried Child”; Edward Albee’s “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?”; “Blue Heart” and “Far Away” by Caryl Churchill, Michael Smith's "Trouble," "Dogs Bark All Night," and "Turnip Family Secrets"; Canadian playwright George F. Walker's "Criminal Genius," "Featuring Loretta," and "Escape from Happiness"; and two plays by Maria Irene Fornes, "Mud" and "The Danube." Productions have been seen at both Center Stage Theater and the Lobero Theatre. Numerous Indie awards have celebrated the work of the company. Genesis West, today a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation, continues its tradition of presenting stimulating plays by contemporary writers.

Mission Statement
The mission of Genesis West is to present transgressive plays by contemporary noted playwrights in order to make Santa Barbara a more artistically vibrant community. Our thought-provoking work is often audacious, experimental, avant-garde, and even farcical, but it always has a greater purpose—to enlighten audiences emotionally, psychologically, and socially.