- Creator
- Arena Theatre (Rochester, N.Y.)
- Call number
- MWEZ 30447
- Preferred Citation
- Arena Theatre programs, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library
- Repository
- Billy Rose Theatre Division
- Access to materials
- Some collections held by the Dance, Music, Recorded Sound, and Theatre Divisions at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts are held off-site and must be requested in advance. Please check the collection records in the NYPL's online catalog for detailed location information. For general guidance about requesting offsite materials, please consult: https://www.nypl.org/about/locations/lpa/requesting-archival-materials
The Arena Theatre, a professional repertory theatrical company, established itself in Rochester, N.Y., in November 1950. Initially known as the Genesee Valley Players, the troupe officially renamed itself the Arena Theatre in June of 1951. The collection consists of programs detailing 84 productions by the Arena Theatre, 1950 to 1956. LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN was the troupe's debut production, which, according to the program, marked Rochester N.Y.'s introduction to "arena staging," i.e. theater in the round. The Arena Theater went on to stage such community theater staples as THE FOURPOSTER, CHARLEY'S AUNT, PYGMALION, and GIGI. The programs offer news about the Arena Theater and its future plans, biographical sketches of the cast and crew, and, in some cases, historical background concerning the current production.
Administrative information
Source of acquisition
Gift, Marr, N.M, 12/19/2000Using the collection
Location
Billy Rose Theatre DivisionNew York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor