"Zero Kilometer Theatre," as described by Dan Stone, is a concept that reimagines theatre education by focusing on creating and performing plays that draw directly from local communities and their unique narratives, much like the Italian "zero kilometer" philosophy of using local ingredients in cuisine. Instead of producing plays by distant authors that may lack relevance to local students or audiences, Zero Kilometer Theatre encourages students to become "artist-entrepreneurs" who develop original, site-specific work rooted in the culture, stories, and concerns of the communities they inhabit.

Stone argues that traditional theatre programs tend to train students as performers who rely on existing plays, often emphasizing Broadway or mainstream regional theatres as the pinnacle of success. In contrast, Zero Kilometer Theatre aims to prepare students to engage with their local environment, gathering and shaping material from community interactions to create theatre that feels authentic to their audience. This approach treats theatre-making like a small business, where students learn not only artistic skills but also entrepreneurial ones, such as grant writing, nonprofit management, and collaborative project development.

The curriculum Stone envisions integrates hands-on, experiential learning, including devising and socially engaged theatre practices that connect students with community partners. For example, his own Community Engaged Theatre course compresses the year-long process of creating a community-based production into ten weeks, teaching students to conduct interviews, lead story-sharing circles, and respect community values, diversity, and traditions.

Ultimately, Zero Kilometer Theatre is about making theatre education more relevant and sustainable by training students as versatile artist-entrepreneurs who can create impactful, localized art and build meaningful connections with the communities they serve.