TheAmerican Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater inCambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 byRobert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to neglected works of the past; and to established classical texts reinterpreted in refreshing new ways.[1] Over the past forty years it has garnered many of the nation's most distinguished awards, including aPulitzer Prize (1982), aTony Award (1986), and aJujamcyn Award (1985).[2] In 2002, the A.R.T. was the recipient of the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award, and it was named one of the top three theaters in the country byTime magazine in 2003.[3] The A.R.T. is housed in the Loeb Drama Center atHarvard University, a building it shares with the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club. The A.R.T. operates theInstitute for Advanced Theater Training.
In 2002Robert Woodruff replaced founderRobert Brustein as the A.R.T.'s artistic director.[4] After Woodruff's departure in 2007, Associate Artistic DirectorGideon Lester filled the position for the 2008/2009 season, and, in May 2008,Diane Paulus was named the new artistic director.[4] Paulus, a Harvard alum, is widely known as a director of theater and opera. Her work includesThe Donkey Show, which ran off-Broadway for six years; productions at theChicago Opera Theatre; and thePublic Theater's 2008 production ofHair, which won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.[5][6][7]
American Repertory Theater was established atHarvard in 1979 as a permanent professional arts organization on campus that offered undergraduate courses in acting, directing, anddramaturgy, taught by professional members of the company with teaching experience.[1] Robert Brustein served as artistic director of the theater until 2002, when he was succeeded by Robert Woodruff, founder of the Bay Area Playwrights Festival.[4] In 2008, Diane Paulus became the artistic director.[4]
During its 44-year history, it has welcomed many major American and international theater artists, presenting a diverse repertoire that includes premieres of American plays and musical productions. In the over 250 productions American Repertory Theater has staged, over half were premieres of new plays, translations, and adaptations.[8] The A.R.T. has performed throughout the U.S. and worldwide in 21 cities in 16 countries on four continents.[8] It continues to be a training ground for young artists, with the artistic staff teaching undergraduate classes in acting, directing, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, voice, and design. In 1987, the A.R.T. founded theInstitute for Advanced Theater Training at Harvard, which offers a five-semester M.F.A. graduate program that operates in conjunction with theMoscow Art Theatre School.[9]
The current artistic director, Diane Paulus, has focused on expanding the boundaries of traditional theater by transforming the ways in which work is developed, programmed, produced, and contextualized in order to allow the audience to participate, thereby making the experience more interactive. Productions such asSleep No More,The Donkey Show,Gatz,The Blue Flower,Prometheus Bound,Gershwin's Porgy and Bess,Wild Swans, andPippin have engaged audiences in unique theatrical experiences through physical interaction and unconventional staging.[10][11]The theater's productions have garnered eighteen Tony Awards, includingBest Revival of a Musical for its productions ofPippin (2013) andGershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012),Best Musical forOnce (2012), andBest PlayAll The Way (2014).[12] The A.R.T. also received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater, the Pulitzer Prize, and multipleElliot Norton andIRNE awards.[8] Its premiere production ofDeath and the Powers: The Robots' Opera was a 2012 Pulitzer Prize finalist.[13]
Black Swan. Music and lyrics byDave Malloy, book byJen Silverman, Music Supervision and Direction by Or Matias, and Directed and Choreographed bySonya Tayeh.Based on Searchlight Pictures'Black Swan, Story by Andres Heinz.
Wonder. Music and Lyrics byIan Axel &Chad King, Book bySarah Ruhl, Music Supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo, Choreography by Katie Spelman, Directed by Taibi Magar.Based on thenovel byR.J. Palacio and Lionsgate and Mandeville'sWonder.
Becoming a Man. Created by P. Carl, directed byDiane Paulus and P. Carl.
Real Women Have Curves. Music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Boomer, choreography and direction by Sergio Trujillo.Based on theplay by Josefina López and HBO'sReal Women Have Curves. (Pre-Broadway production)
The Half-God of Rainfall. Created by Inua Ellams, directed by Taibi Magar.
Ocean Filibuster. Created by PearlDamour, text by Lisa D'Amour, music by Sxip Shirey, directed by Katie Pearl.
WILD: A Musical Becoming. Book byV, music by Justin Tranter & Caroline Pennell with contributions by Erin Cannata, lyrics by Justin Tranter, Caroline Pennell, &V with contributions by Idina Menzel, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed byDiane Paulus.
Macbeth In Stride. Created & performed by Whitney White, orchestrations by Steven Cuevas and Whitney White, musically directed by Steven Cuevas, choreography by Raja Feather Kelly, directed by Tyler Dobrowsky & Taibi Magar.
Chasing Magic. Created by Ayodele Casel, directed by Torya Beard.
Six. Written byToby Marlow & Lucy Moss, choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, musically supervised by Joe Beighton, musically directed by Roberta Duchak, orchestrations by Tim Curran, directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage. (Pre-Broadway production)
Black Light. Created byDaniel Alexander Jones, original songs by Jomama Jones. Featuring Bobby Halvorson, Laura Jean Anderson, Dylan Meek, and Josh Quat
Moby-Dick. Music, lyrics, book, and orchestrations byDave Malloy, musically directed by Or Matias, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed byRachel Chavkin
Thumbelina: A Little Musical. Book, music, and lyrics by Julia Riew, musically directed by Julia Riew & Ian Chan, choreography by Ryan Kapur, directed by Emma Watt
The Black Clown. Adapted byDavóne Tines & Michael Schachter, music by Michael Schacter, musically directed by Jaret Landon, choreography by Chanel DaSilva, directed by Zack Winokur.
The Emperor's New Clothes. Book by Eliya Smith, music by Sasha Yakub, lyrics by Sarah Rossman, choreography by Ryan Kapur, directed by Mitchell Pononsky
We Live in Cairo. Book, music, & lyrics by Daniel Lazour & Patrick Lazour, musical arrangements by Daniel Lazour &Michael Starobin, musically directed Madeline Smith, choreography by Samar Haddad King, and directed by Taibi Magar
The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville, conceived by Paul Ford,Taylor Mac,Mandy Patinkin, andSusan Stroman. Directed by Susan Stroman.
Crossing, a new American opera, music and libretto byMatthew Aucoin. Directed by Diane Paulus.
The A.R.T.'s 30th season, its first under Artistic DirectorDiane Paulus, eschewed the traditional model and instead offered a series of "festivals" which encouraged audiences to experience productions as parts of larger cultural events.
Don Juan Giovanni and Figaro directed by Dominique Serrand in association withTheatre de la Jeune Lune. In repertory August 31 – October 6, 2007 at the Loeb Drama Center.
In 1987, the A.R.T. founded theInstitute for Advanced Theater Training, a five-semester professional training program which includes a three-month period working and training at theMoscow Art Theatre School inRussia.[9] The program provides training for graduate-level actors,dramaturgs, and voice students. From 1999 until 2016, this joint program conferred anM.F.A. from the Moscow Art Theatre School,[25] along with a certificate of completion from Harvard. Beginning with the graduating class of 2017, students have been granted a master of liberal arts degree through theHarvard Extension School.[25]
In July 2017, theU.S. Department of Education voiced concern over the worrisomely high debt-load of students completing the program. In response, the A.R.T. Institute announced a three-year pause in admissions, while it sought to improve student financial aid. It continues to negotiate with Harvard University about establishing an M.F.A. degree.[25]
OBERON, sometimes referred to as Club Oberon, was a club theater venue that was built by the Carr Foundation in 2004 and opened in August 2009 as A.R.T.'s second venue.[31] The A.R.T. opened the space in 2006 as the Zero Arrow Street Theater. TheOnion Cellar was staged there Dec 2006-Jan 2007. A.R.T. originally used OBERON for the open ended residency of their production ofThe Donkey Show; however, American Repertory soon decided to convert the theater into a fully functioning club theater venue, fitting the philosophy developed byThe Donkey Show's creatorRandy Weiner.
In 2021, The A.R.T. decided not to renew its lease and Oberon was closed.[32]
Before OBERON, A.R.T. used the oldHasty Pudding theater as a second space in addition to the Loeb Mainstage. A.R.T.'s Institute for Advanced Theater Training formerly used the sub-basement ofthe First Parish in Cambridge at Zero Church Street, as a flexible venue. In May, 2015 the A.R.T. staged an opera premiere at theShubert Theater in Boston, their first use of that venue.[33]
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