The idea of PTP began brewing in 1999.

Weary of doing theater on an “if and when funding can be found” basis and yearning for a dedicated theater space, a group of committed theater actors, directors, educators, designers, and technicians sought a venue through which they could practice their craft on a regular basis and share their passion for theater with the Modesto community. The casual inquiry eventually morphed into focused discussions, and in October 2000 the Prospect Theater Project was born. PTP incorporated on December 01, 2000, and in February 2001 received its official non-profit designation from the State of California. The Prospect Theater Project was officially recognized by the federal government as a 501(c)3 on May 3, 2001.

PTP began its initial fund-raising campaign in winter of 2001.

Our debut was funded solely by the individual donations of a community enthusiastically embracing the idea of innovative theater in an intimate setting. We moved into our Scenic Drive location in March 2001, premiered our first play in April 2001, and started offering workshops the following month. Since its inception, PTP’s funding continues to come from individual and corporate contributions, grants, as well as box office receipts and revenue generated from workshops and the occasional rental of our facility.

For over eighteen years,

Prospect Theater Project has produced plays, sponsored musical and poetry-related events, and gave local artists a place to show their work within the intimate Scenic Drive venue. As our audience and vision expanded, we found ourselves limited by the small size of our space, as well as the distance from downtown’s lively weekend scene. In the summer of 2013, PTP’s Board of Directors embarked on a Capital Campaign to fund a move to a bigger location in the heart of downtown Modesto. Our goal? To raise $150,000 to create a larger, state-of-the-art performance space. Once again, the community is coming through. We have met half of our goal, and donations continue to arrive as our patrons see the work we’ve done on our new K Street home.