Brookfield Theatre for the Arts facts for kids
Logo of the theatre
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| Address | 184 Whisconier Rd. Brookfield, Connecticut United States |
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| Type | Indoor theatre |
| Capacity | 135 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1957 |
| Rebuilt | 1957, 2005 |
| Years active | 1957-present |
| Website | |
| http://www.brookfieldtheatre.org/ | |
The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts is a fun place in Brookfield, Connecticut. It's a theater where you can watch plays, movies, and musical shows. This special theater is inside an old building that used to be a school gymnasium! It can hold up to 135 people.
Each year, the theater puts on five main shows. These include funny comedies, serious dramas, exciting musicals, and classic plays. They also have workshops and special events. For example, the Brookfield Film Festival happens here. It's a three-day event that shows short films and movies from other countries.
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The Story of the Theatre
The theater company we know today started in 1957. It was first called the "Country Players of Brookfield." This name might have been inspired by an older acting group. That group, called the Brookfield Players, was started in the 1930s by Virgil Geddes.
The Old Curtis School for Boys
The building where the theater is now has a long history. In 1883, a school called the Curtis School for Boys opened in Brookfield. It had moved there from another town.
The school was founded by Frederick Smiley Curtis. He was a teacher and mentor. He was also the last living member of his class from Yale University. Mr. Curtis was born in 1850. He earned a special degree called a PhD from Yale. Before starting his own school, he taught at other colleges.
The Curtis School campus had seven buildings. One of them was the gymnasium, built in 1907. This gym had a cool, rustic style with stone and wooden beams. The school also had classrooms, a chapel, a barn, and a small house. The Curtis School closed its doors in 1943.
A Historic Home for Arts
The theater is located in the old Curtis School gymnasium. This building was empty for a while. Then, in 1957, the Brookfield Country Players bought it. They turned it into a community theater!
Over the years, they added more to the building. A dressing room was built in the 1960s. In the 1980s, they added a backstage area. The building has a rustic style. It originally had big stone fireplaces at each end of the gym. One fireplace is now behind the stage. The other one is still there and looks beautiful.
The Theatre Today
The theater group grew and started offering more cultural events. In 2003, they changed their name to "The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Inc." This new name showed they wanted to be a creative hub for the whole Brookfield area.
In 2005, they opened a new lobby. This space is used for casual get-togethers, workshops, and art shows. For their 60th anniversary, the lobby was updated again. It became an art gallery! A board member helps choose the art for shows throughout the year.
