- unitid
-
{"value"=>"18654", "type"=>"local_mss"}
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1997-042", "type"=>"local_call"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1987-2004", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1987/2004"}
{"value"=>"1988-2001", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1988/2001"}
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"AIDS Theatre Project records"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"39 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"15.92 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}]}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">Billy Rose Theatre Division</span>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"The AIDS Theatre Project (ATP) was formed in New York City in 1987 and sought to provide a creative outlet for people with AIDS while educating the public on HIV/AIDS by performing original theatrical productions. This collection documents over fifteen years of performances produced by ATP and the reception they received from schools, community groups, and other host organizations."}
- langmaterial
-
{"value"=>"English"}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>AIDS Theatre Project records, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"AIDS Theatre Project", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The AIDS Theatre Project (ATP) was formed in New York City in 1987. ATP sought to provide a creative outlet for people with AIDS (PWA's) while educating the public on HIV/AIDS by performing original theatrical productions for local and national schools, community groups, and other host organizations.</p> <p>The ATP grew out of the People With AIDS Theater Workshop (PWATW), which was formed in 1987 under the leadership of playwright and acting instructor Seth Glassman, who had previously been a buddy at the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC). Glassman wrote the company's first script <span class=\"title\">People With AIDS</span>, a series of monologues based on Glassman's experience as a buddy at GMHC that demonstrates the real experiences of a PWA and the social and political environment that surrounds their lives. While some of the original members were professional actors, many others found themselves on stage for the first time.</p> <p>The first performance took place that year at the Greenwich Village Arts Festival at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Greenwich Village. It was well-received and the company continued to perform around New York City for the rest of the year. In 1988, the company split. The offshoot group retaining the PWATW name and wanted to focus more on performing in cabarets and nightclubs. The remaining group members, with Glassman serving as artistic director, renamed the company AIDS Theatre Project (ATP) and sought to do outreach to schools and community centers. ATP was established as a nonprofit organization with a Board of Directors.</p> <p>Over the next few years, ATP performed <span class=\"title\">People with AIDS</span> before dozens of local school, church, and community groups, traditionally following the one-hour performance with a question and answer session with audience members asking the performers questions, ranging from virus transmission to what it was like living with AIDS. Hosting organizations that could afford to do so paid the company a fee, and the performers, still a mix of HIV-positive professionals and amateurs, sometimes received a small stipend. Media coverage of ATP ranged from NBC and CBS news to <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span> and <span class=\"title\">The Village Voice</span>.</p> <p>In 1992, a second play, <span class=\"title\">This AIDS Thing</span>, was developed collectively in workshops by company members under the direction of Bill Partlow, who succeeded Glassman as ATP artistic director. <span class=\"title\">This AIDS Thing</span> was based more directly on the lives of the cast members. At least partly due to HIV-related illness, however, cast turnover was always high, and substitutions were frequent. But ATP managed to extend the scope of its outreach, traveling to Ohio, Indiana, Colorado, Georgia, Washington DC, and other locations to perform its work.</p> <p>Through the 1990s, ATP gave hundreds of performances, and held annual benefits at New York theatres like the Minetta Lane and Roundabout to help fund its non-profit activities. ATP also hosted bi-monthly open mike nights at CB's Gallery in Greenwich Village that functioned as both a fundraiser and to provide outreach. The company continued to develop new works, including <span class=\"title\">The Common Ground</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Waiting Room</span>, a play which focused on women with AIDS, and <span class=\"title\">Moment to Moment</span>, a concert piece that including poetry, monologues, and song. Following Partlow, artistic directors of the company included Letitia Guillory, Connie Winston, and Drew Picard. In addition to performances, the ATP would routinely host writing workshops</p> <p>In the early years of the 2000s, ATP experienced increasing challenges with funding, along with other problems. The company was finally disbanded in 2003.</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The records were compiled as a result of the efforts of former member, Ray Steehler, and were maintained by Steehler and other company members prior to donation.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>This collection documents over fifteen years of theatrical performances produced and performed by The AIDS Theatre Project (ATP) and the reception the performances received from a diverse range of audience members. The records consist of administrative files, development files, financial records, production files, and photographs. Other than an early script for <span class=\"title\">People With AIDS</span>, the first year of the ATP, then called the People With AIDS Theater Workshop, is not represented in the collection.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The AIDS Theatre Project records are arranged in five series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18654#c127246'>Series I: Administrative Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1988-2002</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series I is arranged alphabetically by subject and includes correspondence, subject files, materials relating to outreach and publicity, and the Board of Director files. The ATP's staff was small. Paid staff included a part-time managing director, resident director, and creative director. All administrative work was done by volunteers, often high school or college interns. Correspondence includes letters between staff members, performers, and other interested parties. Memoranda and facsimile cover sheets were filed together and reflect the day-to-day communication within the office. Thank you cards are from schools, churches, and other organizations where ATP performed and reflect how the performances were received. The Board of Directors was active in ATP's administration, raising and managing funds, and providing support to staff and company members. The Board of Director files include budget reports, proposals for special projects, and provide a good overview of ATP's activities for a given year. The outreach files are mass mailings, letters to potential sponsors, and information packets. ATP occationally collaborated with other organizations, providing professional expertise on portraying a PWA for DaWa Movies film <span class=\"title\">The Visit</span>, and co-producing the film <span class=\"title\">Facing Up to People with AIDS</span> with the pharmaceutical company Roche Laboratories.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18654#c127354'>Series II: Development Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1990-2004</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series II is divided into general files, benefit files, and foundation and corporate donor files. ATP did the majority of its fundraising through benefits and grants, supplementing these funding streams by participating in GMHC's annual AIDS Walk and by selling commemorative ribbons. The majority of the benefits were held at the Roundabout Theatre Company or the Minetta Lane Theatre and consisted of a performance and reception. In 1997, ATP also hosted <span class=\"title\">Love Action!</span> a fashion show benefit, and <span class=\"title\">Twisted!</span>, a dance party. Benefit files are arranged in chronological order and include correspondence, donor lists and invitations, programs, schedules, scripts, and prompt books. Ribbon sales contain samples of the red ribbons sold by ATP members and supporters.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18654#c127405'>Series III: Financial Records</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1990-2003</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series III is arranged by fiscal year and contains budgets, monthly and yearly reports, cash disbursement statements, invoices, papers relating to ATP's non-profit status, and tax forms.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18654#c127421'>Series IV: Production Files</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1987-2002</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series IV is divided into general files, bookings, and scripts. Booking files make up the bulk of this series and reflect ATP's extensive bookings at schools, churches, businesses, and community centers. These files are arranged in chronological order by season and consist of correspondence, contracts, performance work sheets that detail each performance, programs, and audience evaluation forms. ATP also regularly appeared on <span class=\"title\">Youth Pulse</span>, a teen-based radio show on station WBAI. The 1996-1997 Season file on Piscataway High School contains apology letters regarding the students' rude behavior during the performance. Scripts include multiple iterations.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/18654#c127539'>Series V: Photographs</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1992-2001</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>Series V includes group shots of the cast, as well as photographs of specific events and performances. Also in this series is an index created by donor Ray Steehler.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Donated by Kevin Frazier, Michael Letvin, Paul Lockwood, Jim Murello, and Ray Steehler from 1997 to 2005.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by <span class=\"name\">John Calhoun</span> and <span class=\"name\">Susan Malsbury</span>.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>A small portion of these records (2.92 linear feet) were initially processed in 2005. These records have been reprocessed and combined with this collection. Material was reboxed and refoldered as neccessary. Original arrangement and folder titles were retained when apparent.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1987
- keydate
-
1987
- date_end
-
2004
- date_inclusive_start
-
1987
- date_inclusive_end
-
2004
- date_bulk_start
-
1988
- date_bulk_end
-
2001