Waterwell was founded in Bloomington, Indiana in 2002. Its first production, Choo! Choo! All Aboard the Comedy Express: Next Stop Funnyville, debuted in February at the Rose Firebay. That April, the company produced the Midwest premiere of Daniel MacIvor's In On It at the Bloomington Playwrights Project.

In June of '02 it moved to New York City and began work on an original full-length piece about the Middle East called Lost in Yemen: or The Bizarre Bazaar. It enjoyed a brief but sold-out run at Collective: Unconscious that November.

In April '03 the company's first adaptation — a condensed, cabaret version of Lope de Vega's Fuenteovejuna — opened at the Duplex Cabaret Theater and ran for more than two months. It was hailed as "an unpretentious and unrelentingly entertaining ride" by the Gay City News. In August, Waterwell presented its fifth drop, Stuck, at the Peoples Improv Theater where it ran for four weeks. Then in November at the Ground Floor Theater it premiered Chill & Serve, its third new show of the year and a double bill comprised of original one-acts: "Episodes in Blue" and "Life in Pink".

The first part of '04 saw both "Episodes" and "Life" presented separately at various venues around the tri-state area. In August, Waterwell received a grant from The Nancy Quinn Fund to create and produce Sweetness & Light, which ran for two weeks at Altered Stages in October and November '04. "Terrific...hilarious...and enormous fun!" said nytheatre.com. "Seamless and intriguing...impeccable!" said the Off-Off-Broadway Review.

The company's eighth production, The Persians...a comedy about war with five songs, opened at UNDER St. Marks in May of 2005. Thanks to enthusiastic reviews and good word of mouth The Persians transferred Off-Broadway to the Perry Street Theater where it ran for a 6 more weeks including a 2 week extension. The New York Times called it "Brilliant, original and inspired."

On March 6th, 2006 Waterwell held its first annual Cabaret Benefit at Joe's Pub. Hosted by Waterwell ensemble member and MadTV star Nicole Parker, the evening featured music from past Waterwell drops performed live by the ensemble and special guests. The pre-show cocktail reception inside the Public Theater included door prizes, raffles and a silent auction and was sponsored by Patron, Chipotle, House & Garden, Brocato, OmniPak and nytheatre.com.

After the benefit, Waterwell received its second Nancy Quinn Fund grant, additional support from Katherine Dalglish Foundation, a space grant from the Actors Institute and program funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. Its ninth drop, Marco Millions (based on lies) , premiered in August '06 at the Lion on Theatre Row. The New York Sun called it “one of the brightest notes in the theatrical season" and it earned the company a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Direction.

In January 2007, the ensemble began devising a rock operetta based on the last year in the life of Martin Luther King. Thanks to support from NYSCA, DCA, the Bel Geddes and Puffin Foundations, The|King|Operetta premiered at Barrow Street Theatre in June, and in December New York Magazine nominated it for a 2007 Culture Award for Best New Musical. The year also saw a cabaret version of Marco Millions at Joe's Pub and a new and improved Persians at the Abrons Arts Center. Before it was out, the company was at work devising its ninth full-length show.

Most of 2008 was spent revising and touring The Persians and The|King|Operetta , which played various venues along the east coast. Residencies at Silo|Kirkland Farm and the Orchard Project furthered development on what had become #9 , a chamber musical about technology, identity and relationships. New grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Greenwall Foundation supported #9 's premiere in June 2009 at 59E59. It was a Metromix Pick of the Week and Theatermania called it “Highly amusing and extremely ambitious.”

Currently Waterwell is developing a live concept album based on the book and film Looking for Mr. Goodbar with the glam-punk outfit, Bambï; a new play based on the CIA's 1953 coup of Iranian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh; and an musical adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita .

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