▁since ▁its ▁found ing . ▁ ▁History ▁Hann ah ▁Bos ▁of ▁E van ston , ▁Illinois , ▁and ▁Paul ▁Th ure en ▁who ▁was ▁raised ▁near ▁East ▁Grand ▁F ork s , ▁Minnesota , ▁met ▁at ▁V ass ar ▁College ▁and ▁first ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁play ▁together ▁during ▁their ▁s oph om ore ▁year . ▁The ▁pair ▁dated ▁during ▁college ▁and ▁ended ▁their ▁relationship ▁in ▁what ▁Bos ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁" ter rible ▁break up ". ▁They ▁studied ▁abroad ▁together ▁( at ▁the ▁National ▁Theater ▁Institute ▁and ▁in ▁Russia ) ▁and ▁cow rote ▁their ▁senior ▁th esis , ▁a ▁play ▁called ▁A ▁Th ought ▁About ▁R aya ▁before ▁gradu ating ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁company ' s ▁third ▁member , ▁Oliver ▁Butler , ▁" did n ' t ▁go ▁to ▁V ass ar , ▁but ▁[...] ▁wish [ ed ] ▁[ he ] ▁did ", ▁according ▁to ▁Butler ▁himself . ▁While ▁Butler , ▁a ▁University ▁of ▁Connecticut ▁gradu ate , ▁was ▁involved ▁at ▁a ▁battle ▁of ▁the ▁bands ▁at ▁the ▁college ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁he ▁didn ' t ▁meet ▁Bos ▁and ▁Th ure en ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁when ▁he ▁attended ▁a ▁reading ▁of ▁A ▁Th ought ▁About ▁R aya ▁at ▁the ▁D rama ▁Book ▁Sh op ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁He ▁approached ▁Bos ▁and ▁Th ure en ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁presentation ▁and ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁them , ▁an ▁idea ▁about ▁which ▁the ▁pair ▁was ▁initially ▁hes