Stage Writes
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Before She Was a 'Scandal' Star, Katie Lowes Saved Her Acting Career By Founding IAMA
What started out as a passion project for Lowes and her co-founders is now one of the most successful theatre companies in L.A.
Katie Lowes (Shutterstock)
Today, IAMA Theatre Company is one of Los Angeles’ leading independent companies. Known for producing new plays and championing emerging artists, the group has amassed a dedicated following over the last decade. Among its devotees is Shonda Rhimes, who was recently named IAMA’s first Patron of the Arts. With her philanthropic support, the company’s future is looking more and more promising.
It’s hard to believe that almost ten years ago, IAMA’s founding members were just “a bunch of theatre kids from the East Coast” trying to find an alternative to working in restaurants.
One of those theatre kids was IAMA’s co-artistic director—and Scandal star—Katie Lowes. After graduating from NYU, Lowes spent two years in New York City, working as a waitress and booking the occasional acting gig Off Off-Broadway. “It just seemed really, really hard to get ahead,” she says. Tired of hustling, Lowes decided to join a couple of college friends in L.A. But on the West Coast, it looked to be a case of same struggle, different city. At least, in the beginning.
Click here for the full article published on Playbill.com by Olivia Clement on May 30, 2017.