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What Is The Theatre Museum? |
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Written by Maryellen Rogusky
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Wednesday, 17 May 2006 07:30 |
The Theatre Museum is New York's first and only chartered nonprofit museum dedicated to the history of theatre.
The Theatre Museum is currently fulfilling its primary mission to preserve, protect and perpetuate the legacy of theatre through innovative programming such as exhibitions and presentations, collaborations, theatre arts education and the annual Theatre Museum Awards ceremony.
The vision for The Theatre Museum includes a world-class, permanent exhibition space of our own, with features including:
- Interactive exhibits on theatre styles and genres, influence on other arts, politics and philosophy, luminaries and visionaries, watersheds and turning points, hits and flops, past, present and future-and much, much more.
- Exhibitions showcasing the past, present and future of theatre here and abroad, covering all genres of the theatrical arts, from dance to puppetry, straight plays to stand-up, traditional musical theatre to cutting-edge performance art, and all shades in-between.
- Even more excellent programming to engage, educate and excite, such as:
Seminars and workshops: To introduce visitors to the people who create theatre, theatre as an art and a business, the development of theatre and its place in and effects on society at large.
Exhibits and exhibitions: To identify and explore national and international influences on and of theatre in New York and throughout the U.S.
A unique Live Theatre Experience Space: Where visitors are swept up in a simulated live performance.
The Theatre Museum grows out of the legacy of the Broadway Theatre Institute. Since 1986, BTI has developed innovative programming in cultural preservation and theatre arts education, serving more than 100,000 children and adults in the New York City area. The creation of The Theatre Museum is the next step in the evolution of BTI.
Chartered and Ready to Roll
The New York State Department of Education has granted a provisional charter to the founders of The Theatre Museum, which has been designated as an IRS 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit education corporation. The Broadway Theatre Institute is being merged into The Theatre Museum.
The Theatre Museum is thus established as an educational corporation celebrating the unique and expansive role that theatre plays in defining and reflecting our culture.
Where Else But New York?
Theatre in New York has defined and reflected our country's culture more than any other place. NYC is the backdrop for America's heritage of playwriting, direction, design, acting styles, theatrical criticism, stage direction -- indeed, the crossroads of creative talent and the Standard against which all professional theatre is measured. No location could be more appropriate for
a permanent facility to honor the theatrical arts.
We are confident that New York City as well as the entire nation will benefit from this museum, which will be dedicated to discovering theatre's past by showcasing its present and exploring its future.
The Theatre Museum Benefits Theatre Everywhere
- The Theatre Museum encourages audience attendance at both non- and for-profit theatre.
- The museum will stimulate each visitor's desire to explore experimental and regional theatre.
- Exhibits will refer visitors to other local resources and institutions, such as libraries, archives and other museums and exhibitions devoted to the arts.
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