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 eleven plays in Santa Barbara: “Blue Heart” and “Far Away” by Caryl Churchill, Michael Smith's "Trouble," "Dogs Bark All Night," and "Turnip Family Secrets"; Sam Shepard's "Buried Child"; 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.