Theater for the Modern World

Setting the Stage in New York’s East Village – Classic Stage Co.

CSC (Classic Stage Company) is an award winning Off-Broadway Theater based in New York City, after 50 years the iconic company was looking to be reinvented.

Prior to CSC’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Design Army was approached to rebrand the theater company. We developed brand and design strategy around the central idea that modern is indeed, classic — but contemporary had to lead. Our recommendation was to drop the word “classic” from the company’s name, and use only their initials — “CSC.”

From there, we created an identity that was contemporary and confident. We used modified typography that was elegantly elongated to reflect the strength and heights of New York City itself, and CSC’s decades long roots there. We designed a brandmark that spoke to CSC’s innovative and bold approach to their productions.

Driving CSC’s innovative work even further, we introduced a dynamic color palette built from gradient blends, “sliced” photography and echoed typography. Using these elements along with custom illustration and photo collage, we designed an oversized brochure to generate excitement for their anniversary gala and to launch the new season.

We extended the new look into the digital world by redesigning CSC’s website, bringing in the new brand identity and visual elements across digital platforms.