About Us

Mountain Actors Workshop, Inc. (MAW) was founded in 1988 and became an official nonprofit in 1992. MAW's mission aims to bring together theater arts in the Hayfork community with a focus on collaborative, live productions.

Since the beginning, MAW has produced a wide range of plays, from William Shakespeare and Broadway classics to 10-minute plays, melodramas, and monologues. Inclusive in its casting, MAW has always welcomed a diverse cast of all ages and all levels of experience. At its core, MAW focuses on collaboration and has done so with multiple community entities throughout the years, namely Mountain Valley Unified School District (MVUSD), through joint productions and most recently an after-school program. We also couldn't do it without the support of our local businesses, where we frequently use their facilities for productions, thanks to their generosity.

MAW has an educational focus as well. Throughout the decades, many of our members have worked with the local schools, providing training for students in scriptwriting, light and sound tech, and set construction, as well as many other opportunities both in and out of school. Most recently, for example, we worked with Hayfork High School to start an after-school theater workshop program, which exemplifies MAW's long-time collaboration with the schools. A Hayfork High alumna, who many years ago benefited from MAW/MVUSD collaborations as a student and was in performances regularly, recently returned to Hayfork. She was elected to MAW's Board of Directors and was hired for the 18-19 school year to teach the theater program. As an example of our collaborative mindset, other MAW board members provide instructional support regularly.

Behind the scenes, meanwhile, MAW has been working toward renovating the old "Hayfork Theater" building located on Highway 3. It has been a long but still-promising endeavor. Head to our news page to find the latest updates on the project.