American Repertory Theater facts for kids
Loeb Drama Center
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| Address | Loeb Drama Center 64 Brattle Street OBERON 2 Arrow Street Cambridge, Massachusetts United States |
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| Coordinates | 42°22′29.84″N 71°7′21.54″W / 42.3749556°N 71.1226500°W |
| Type | Regional theater |
| Capacity | Loeb Drama Center: 556 |
| Years active | 1980 to present |
The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was started in 1979 by Robert Brustein. The A.R.T. is famous for showing new American plays. They also explore music-theater and bring old classic stories to life in fresh, new ways.
Over the years, A.R.T. has won many important awards. These include a Pulitzer Prize (1982) and a Tony Award (1986). In 2003, Time magazine called it one of the top three theaters in the country. The A.R.T. is located at the Loeb Drama Center. This building is part of Harvard University.
In 2008, Diane Paulus became the artistic director. She is well-known for directing plays and operas. Her work includes The Donkey Show, which ran for six years. She also directed Hair in 2008, which won a Tony Award.
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History of A.R.T.
The American Repertory Theater began at Harvard in 1979. It was created as a professional arts group on campus. The theater offered classes for college students. These classes taught acting, directing, and how plays are made. Professional actors and directors from the company taught these courses.
Robert Brustein was the artistic director until 2002. Then, Robert Woodruff took over. In 2008, Diane Paulus became the artistic director.
What Makes A.R.T. Special?
For over 40 years, A.R.T. has welcomed many famous artists. They have shown a wide variety of plays and musicals. More than half of the 250 shows A.R.T. has put on were brand new plays. They also staged new versions of older stories.
The A.R.T. has performed all over the U.S. and in 21 cities worldwide. It helps train young artists. The staff teaches classes in acting, directing, and design. In 1987, A.R.T. started the Institute for Advanced Theater Training. This program works with the Moscow Art Theatre School.
Interactive Theater Experiences
Diane Paulus, the current artistic director, likes to make theater more exciting. She wants audiences to be part of the show. This makes the experience more interactive. Shows like Sleep No More and The Donkey Show have done this. They let audiences move around and interact with the story.
A.R.T. productions have won many awards. They received eighteen Tony Awards. This includes Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013). They also won Best Musical for Once (2012). The A.R.T. also got the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater.
Recent Productions
The American Repertory Theater puts on many different kinds of shows each year. Here are some of their recent productions:
2025–2026 Season
- Black Swan. This show has music and lyrics by Dave Malloy.
- Wonder. This musical is based on the popular novel by R.J. Palacio.
- 300 Paintings. Created and performed by Sam Kissajukian.
- Passengers. A show by The 7 Fingers.
2024–2025 Season
- Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). A musical with music by Jim Barne.
- Night Side Songs. Words and Music by Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour.
- The Odyssey by Homer. Adapted by Kate Hamill.
- Diary of a Tap Dancer. Written and choreographed by Ayodele Casel.
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Directed by Diane Paulus.
2023–2024 Season
- Gatsby: An American Myth. This musical is based on the famous novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
- Becoming a Man. Created by P. Carl.
- Real Women Have Curves. A musical based on the play by Josefina López.
- The Half-God of Rainfall. Created by Inua Ellams.
2022–2023 Season
- Evita. A musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
- The Wife of Willesden. Adapted by Zadie Smith from Chaucer's The Wife of Bath.
- Life of Pi. Based on the novel by Yann Martel. This show later went to Broadway.
- Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. Created by Anna Deavere Smith.
2021–2022 Season
- 1776. A musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This show also went to Broadway.
- Ocean Filibuster. Created by PearlDamour.
- WILD: A Musical Becoming. Book by V.
- Macbeth In Stride. Created and performed by Whitney White.
- Chasing Magic. Created by Ayodele Casel.
2019–2020 Season
- Six. A musical about the wives of Henry VIII. This show later went to Broadway.
- Black Light. Created by Daniel Alexander Jones.
- Moby-Dick. A musical based on the famous novel.
- Thumbelina: A Little Musical. Book, music, and lyrics by Julia Riew.
- Gloria: A Life. Written by Emily Mann.
Notable People Who Have Worked with A.R.T.
The American Repertory Theater has shown many new plays for the first time. Many famous writers have had their works performed here. These include Don DeLillo, Philip Glass, David Mamet, Dave Malloy, Amanda Palmer, and Paula Vogel.
Many respected stage directors have also worked with A.R.T. Some of these include Anne Bogart, Lee Breuer, Robert Brustein, Peter Sellars, and Susan Sontag.
Training for Theater Artists
In 1987, A.R.T. started the Institute for Advanced Theater Training. This is a special program for people who want to become professional actors or theater makers. Students in this program spend time training at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Russia.
The program helps students learn about acting and how plays are put together. From 1999 to 2016, students earned a special degree from the Moscow Art Theatre School. Since 2017, students have received a master's degree from Harvard Extension School.
Famous Alumni
Many talented people have graduated from this program, including:
- Jon Bernthal (known for Punisher, Walking Dead)
- Steven Zahn (known for White Lotus, Silo)
- Zuzanna Szadkowski (known for The Knick, Gossip Girl)
- Katori Hall (a famous playwright who wrote The Mountaintop)
Performance Venues
OBERON
OBERON was a special club theater venue. It opened in August 2009 as A.R.T.'s second stage. A.R.T. first used OBERON for their show The Donkey Show. Later, they turned it into a full club theater.
In 2021, A.R.T. decided not to continue using OBERON, and it closed.
Other Places A.R.T. Has Performed
Before OBERON, A.R.T. used the old Hasty Pudding theater as a second space. This was in addition to the main Loeb Drama Center stage. In May 2015, A.R.T. put on an opera at the Shubert Theater in Boston. This was their first time using that venue.
Images for kids
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Life of Pi at A.R.T. in January 2023
