The Midtown International Theatre Festival (MITF), approaching its 10th year, presents the finest talent in the heart of midtown Manhattan. The Commercial Division hosts the festival's "Broadway-in-the-making" series, and the awards ceremony recognizes outstanding work. The MITF offers publishing contracts to its participants and publishes a best of the fest anthology.

Our philosophy is based on a paradoxical combination of selectivity and diversity. We select projects that are pleasing to us as well as to audiences. We also recognize that not all plays appeal to all audiences. We don't stuff the Festival with zany productions whose chief recommendation is a long title or one with "sex" in it.

We encourage diversity because theatre itself is diverse. By diversity we don't mean political correctness; Shakespeare isn't politically correct by our standards, although he had to toe the political lines of his time. But we do encourage plays of all racial and sexual stripes, as well as plays in all genres. While the word "eclectic" has bad connotations in the academic world, it describes our artistic thrust. We welcome any kind of stage play, musical or otherwise, new or classic, mainstream or specifically focused on an ethnic or cultural niche.

The festival is the brainchild of John Chatterton, publisher and editor of OOBR ("the off-off-broadway review"). Mr. Chatterton started MITF as a way to present the finest Off-Off-Broadway talent in convenience, comfort, and safety.