A.R.T./New York’s History

A few brief highlights from our 38 years; the names of current programs are in bold.

1972

Forty-nine Off Off Broadway theatres, including AMAS Musical Theatre, Classic Stage Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, Playwrights Horizons, Repertorio Espanol and Theatre for the New City join together to form the Off Off Broadway Alliance (known as OOBA).

1978

OOBA receives a special Drama Desk Award in recognition of its service to, and the achievements of, the Off Off Broadway theatre community.

1982

The name Off Off Broadway Alliance changes to Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York, more popularly know as A.R.T./New York.

1984

The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation awards a special grant which allows A.R.T./New York to usher its members into the computer age. In addition to installing computer terminals at some of our largest member theatres, A.R.T./New York hires a designated IT professional to install the computers; train the staff; trouble-shoot and solve problems.

1986

The Real Estate Project provides a full-time real estate broker on staff to work with members seeking office, rehearsal and performance spaces in a very “tight” market.  The knowledge A.R.T./New York gains from this real estate project prepares the organization to address the field's future real estate needs in 1993 and again in 2000 and 2003.

1990

Thanks to a grant from the Katherine Dalglish Foundation, A.R.T./New York launches The Chelsea Theatre Festival and offers month-long discounts to over a dozen theatres in the Chelsea neighborhood.

1991

ITT Corporation provides major underwriting for the first citywide Passports to Off Broadway campaign offering ½ price tickets to participating theatres. The campaign was promoted by an all-star radio campaign and promotions with the City, IBM, and Chase Manhattan Bank.

1992

Thanks to a 3-year grant from the Joyce Mertz Gilmore Foundation, A.R.T./New York launches the Nancy Quinn Fund for the fastest growing sector of our membership, theatres with budgets below $100,000. The Nancy Quinn Fund makes $25,000 in grants to dozens of theatres while dozens more participate in workshops on fund-raising, audience development, publicity and financial management.

1993

The Elizabeth Steinway Chapin Real Estate Loan Fund is created, with a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to provide low-interest loans of up to $200,000 for the purchase and/or renovation of performance spaces. This is the only such loan fund in the country and, to date, has made over $3.1 million in loans to 42 theatres.

1996

A.R.T./New York launches The Theatre Leadership Institute, with an initial grant from the Emma Shaefer Charitable Trust. Today, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Theatre Leadership Institute provides long-term individualized consulting to theatres experiencing rapid growth, changes in leadership, or other issues unique to the field. 

1998

The JPMorgan Chase Fund for Small Theatres is created for those companies with budgets between $100,000 and $500,000.  Companies in the group are often in the midst of rapid growth, but find that growth hampered by lack of available funding.

2000

A.R.T./New York purcheses South Oxford Space, a 19,000 sq. ft. Beaux Arts building in Fort Greene Brooklyn.  The building provides subsidized office space to along with two rehearsal studios, a performance/meeting space, wireless internet access, and share kitchen and gallery space. 

2001

After the attack on the World Trade Center, A.R.T./New York provides unprecedented citywide financial support including nearly $3 million in cash grants to theatre companies with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. In April of 2001 A.R.T./New York receives a $1,000,000 grant for The Bridge Fund, which allows A.R.T./New York to make low-interest cash-flow loans of up to $25,000 and provide lines of credit of up to $50,000. In November of 2001, the Mellon Foundation awards $2.7 million for A.R.T./New York  to re-grant to theaters that experienced financial and structural losses as a result of the attacks. Within three months of the attack, $254,000 was awarded to organizations most adverstly affected through grants from the September 11 Fund and Altria.

A.R.T./New York’s advocacy on behalf of its members includes the publishing of a white paper entitled New York City’s Not-for-Profit Theatres in a Post 9/11 Era; an additional $250,000 in financial support from the City of New York.

2002

A.R.T./New York is awarded a special Obie Award in recognition of its services on behalf of the theatre community.

Spaces at 520, a 32,000 sq. ft., shared office and rehearsal space facility in midtown Manhattan. This space provides permanent, affordable office space to 25 companies, as well as four rehearsal studios, a kitchen, shared office equipment and storage.  Hundreds of theatres rent subsidized rehearsal studios, which operate 7 days a week.

At the behest of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, A.R.T./New York administers The New York City Theater Grant Program, which awards two-year artistic programming grants.

2003

A.R.T./New York administers The New York Times Company Foundation Fund for Mid-Size Theatres  which awards general operating grants to companies with annual budgets between $500,000 and $5 million.

2004

A.R.T./New York creates The Edith Lutyens and Norman Bel Geddes Fund, to enable set, lighting, costume, sound and video designers to work on a scale commensurate with their talent. 

2008

After three years of careful planning A.R.T./New York signs a lease on two theatres and related spaces in the Archstone-Clinton condominium development on New York City’s far West Side.  The most ambitious project the organization has undertaken in its 35-year history.

A.R.T./New York receives the Mayor’s Award for Arts & Culture.

2009

The Rockefeller Foundation announces the winners of its 2009 New York City Cultural Innovation Fund competition - and with it $2.7 million in grants to support local New York City art and artists.  A.R.T./New York is awarded a research grant of $150,000 to develop sustainable business models that enable Off and Off Off Broadway theatres to survive and thrive.