At the heart of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is a collection of video recordings that has documented and preserved theatre history and revolutionized theatre research. The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive has long been recognized as the first and foremost collection of recorded live theatre performances in the world, and 2020 marked its 50th anniversary.

On October 31, join Untapped New York Insiders for a curator-led tour of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts’ exhibition, Focus Center Stage: 50 Years of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive. The tour will highlight some of the unique and special recordings of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions since 1970. The event is free for Untapped New York Insiders (get your first month free with code JOINUS).

Go Behind the Curtain at NYPL exhibition, Focus Center Stage

‘Focus Center Stage’ Exhibition Tour

On the tour, you will see reels of many theatre productions, from classic theatre to experimental, and photographs of some of the well-known actors and directors in Broadway history. There will even be a material history of the Theatre on Film and Tape Archive.

Photos by Martha Swope and Jonathan Blanc.

‘Focus Center Stage’ Exhibition Tour

Next, check out Broadway’s historical theaters in Times Square!