[1][2] Founded in 1981 by Barbara Zinn Krieger,[3] the Vineyard states that its goal is "to give daring artists a safe space to create exhilarating, original theatre.

[5] The Vineyard Theatre is known for its productions of the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q,[6] Paula Vogel's How I Learned to Drive[7] (a Pulitzer Prize winner[8]), and Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell's musical [title of show][9] (which won an Obie Award[10]).

Doug Aibel and the Vineyard were the recipients of the 1998 Obie's Ross Wetzsteon Award "For Sustained Support of artists and Creativity in the Theater".

[11] The company received the Lucille Lortel Edith Oliver Award for Sustained Excellence in 2003.

[15] Productions have included Nicky Silver's Pterodactyls,[7] Craig Lucas's The Dying Gaul, Christopher Shinn's Where Do We Live, Cornelius Eady's Brutal Imagination, Gina Gionfriddo's After Ashley, and the Laura Nyro musical Eli's Comin'.