One Year Lease Theatre Company, New York

"We deliberately eliminate distraction," the minds behind the One Year Lease Theater Company say on their website. It's an approach that succinctly sums up the works they stage: stripped-down productions that focus on dialogue, character development, and human expression instead of ornate costumes and holographic set pieces. And it's a formula that's been working since the company's 2001 inception. In the decade since, the theater has drawn praise from media outlets around the city, including NYTheatre.com, which said the company "should serve as inspiration to other theatre groups."