Atlantic Theater Company is an award-winning off-Broadway, two-stage, not-for-profit theater. Their website describes the theater company's mission as being "to produce great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble." Inspired by the Group Theatre and Stanislavsky, the Atlantic Theater Company was founded in 1985 by David Mamet, William H. Macy, and, at the time, 30 of their acting students from New York University. Atlantic believes that the story of a play and the intent of its playwright are at the core of the creative process. Atlantic operates two theaters in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City, the 165-seat mainstage named the Linda Gross Theater, and the 99-seat black-box theater, Stage 2, the home of Atlantic’s new play development program which includes the commissioning of new works, readings, workshops, and fully staged productions.

Since its inception, Atlantic has produced more than 120 plays, including the Tony Award winning productions of Spring Awakening and The Beauty Queen of Leenane, as well as The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh, David Mamet’s adaptation of The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville Barker, David Mamet’s Romance,Joe Penhall’s Blue/Orange, Dublin Carol by Conor McPherson, Woody Allen’s Writer’s Block, the revival of Hobson’s Choice, the revivals of American Buffalo and Edmond by David Mamet, Dangerous Corner by J.B. Priestley, adapted and directed by David Mamet, The Cider House Rules, adapted by Peter Parnell, Celebration & The Room and The Hothouse, by Harold Pinter, Mojo by Jez Butterworth, the New York premieres of Howard Korder’s Boys’ Life and The Lights at Lincoln Center Theater, Kevin Heelan’s Distant Fires, Quincy Long’s The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite and Shaker Heights, Tom Donaghy’s Minutes From The Blue Route, Edwin Sánchez’ Trafficking in Broken Hearts, and Missing Persons by Craig Lucas. Other Mamet productions by Atlantic include the plays The Blue Hour, Yes, But So What?, Revenge of the Space Pandas, The Poet and the Rent, Vermont Sketches, Reunion, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, The Duck Variations, The Woods, The Water Engine, his adaptation of Three Sisters, Home, School, and Keep Your Pantheon.

Recently, Atlantic has produced Farragut North by Beau Willimon on its mainstage, and What’s That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling, by David Pittu and Randy Redd on Stage 2. The Cripple of Inishmaan by Martin McDonagh will be presented in collaboration with Druid Theatre in the winter, and a co-produced revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow is currently playing on Broadway.

The Atlantic Acting School, founded in 1987, operates as both a private conservatory and an undergraduate program in conjunction with New York University. The school focuses on the Practical Aesthetics Acting Technique, growing out of a series of NYU summer workshops in Vermont in 1983 and '84 with playwright David Mamet and actor William H. Macy.

The Atlantic Acting School fosters new generations of theater artists and audiences by creating a student ensemble that allows emerging actors to hone their craft in a safe yet challenging environment. This year, the school reached an enrollment of 440 students representing a large cross-section of social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Distinguished guest lecturers include Kate Winslet, Alan Alda, Chris Noth, Richard Dreyfuss, Sam Shepard, Margo Jefferson, Gore Vidal, Charles Durning, Gabriel Byrne, Brian Dennehy, Howard Korder, Mary Steenburgen, Nicky Silver, Ted Danson as well as program graduates Kristen Johnston, Felicity Huffman, and Eddie Cahill. Atlantic is committed to preparing its students for all aspects of a performing arts career.

A number of theater companies have been formed by former students of Atlantic Acting School, including Mobius Group Productions, Bar Hoppers, Thirsty Turtle Productions, Harvard Sailing Team, The Common Tongue, The Group B Project, The Fifteenth Minute, The Ateh Theater Company, The Production Company, Hair of the Dog, EBE Ensemble, Riot, and The Management.