This newsletter includes highlights of recent developments, team activity, and training events for the American Theatre Archive Project (ATAP).
International Association of Libraries and Museums of Performing Arts (SIBMAS)/Theatre Library Association Conference: “Body, Mind, Artifact” – New York City, June 10-14, 2014
ATAP Steering Committee Members Susan Brady and Helice Koffler will present on the American Theatre Archive Project as part of the New Paradigms in Performance Documentation Plenary at the SIBMAS-TLA Conference at John Jay College in New York City June 13, 2014. The full conference program can be found here: http://www.sibmas.org/conferences/new-york-2014-invitation/conference-programme/.
American Society of Theatre Research/Theatre Library Association Conference: “What Performs” – Baltimore, Maryland, November 20-23, 2014
In addition to a working session, “ATAP in Process: What makes an Archive Perform?,” ATAP plans to conduct a training session for archivists, documentarians, and theatre organizations for the formation and implementation of the American Theatre Archive Project in the Baltimore area. More information is available here: http://www.astr.org/.
Team Activity
Austin: Work with the Rude Mechanicals has concluded with the completion of their assessment report. Work with Teatro Vivo continues and the group plans to create a combined finding aid, records management plan, and assessment report. The ZACH Theatre continues its inventory and has made plans to build shelving for archival materials. The ATAP Austin team plans to reconvene in the fall.
Boston: The Boston ATAP team plans to meet with a new company who has expressed interest in archiving.
Florida: ATAP Florida is currently collaborating with Tampa’s Jobsite Theatre and has compiled a production history dating back to 1998 over several different venues.
New York: In April the ATAP New York team conducted both a pitch session at A.R.T. and a second weekend seminar with ATAPed theatres.
Northwest: A two part hybrid training session was conducted April 29 and May 1 including remote participants via Adobe Connect with planning for another training session in June (dates TBA). An additional ATAP pitch was delivered at Theatre Puget Sound on May 16. Discussions have begun to possibly develop a website and enhance access to the University of Washington School of Drama in preparation for the school’s 75th anniversary in 2015.
Philadelphia: The Philadelphia ATAP team continues its monthly meetings and has begun to establish a database of theater contacts.