An Ensemble more than 30 Years in the Making
A Brief History of UMO
UMO began our creative collaboration in 1989. The Ensemble’s creative process is rooted in physical theatre: improvisations in movement, character, vocalization, and writing are the basis for the creation and development of new works.
In its over 30 year history, UMO Ensemble has become known as one of the most innovative, compelling and critically acclaimed performance companies based in the Pacific Northwest. The Ensemble has performed in LORT theaters, at festivals and in schools throughout the Northwest, the United States, Canada, and Europe, and is considered one of the first ensembles to use the phrase “physical theatre.” UMO has created over 30 original shows, expanded to include a rich family of multidisciplinary associate artists, and seeks to inspire the next generation of artists through The UMO School of Physical Arts.
UMO Ensemble and UMO School joined Open Space for Arts and Community in 2023. The merger recognizes the mutual goals and commitments of both organizations, their shared constituents, and seeks to enrich and inspire our community with art and learning.
Vashon Island
Vashon Island has been the home to UMO and the fertile ground in which their creative seeds were planted. Home to a diverse and creative community just a ferry’s ride away from Seattle, UMO’s unofficial sixth ensemble member is the Island herself.
“We acknowledge and recognize that we are on the ancestral lands and traditional home of the sx̌ʷəbabš Coast Salish Native People, the first people of Vashon Island. This land was their home for millennia before Euro-American voyagers and settlers came and they were forcibly removed from these lands and relocated onto neighboring Reservations, including Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, and Muckleshoot. Vashon Island is their traditional home and their historical relationship with the land continues today. We honor the island itself and the sx̌ʷəbabš people past and present.”