by Martha Wade Steketee
The American Theatre Archive Project New York City (ATAP NYC) team members have been meeting for a year at the New Amsterdam Theatre scheming ways to instill archival instincts in the American theatre world. Team members are dramaturgs and archivists (and some are both) with a range of job situations. Some work full time at area theatres as literary staff or archivists, some are freelance dramaturgs or other theatre professionals, and some are archivists who have a personal interest in the theatre arts while being employed at non-theatre organizations. Speaking from our different professional perspectives at each monthly meeting, we revitalize our focus on our jointly-held goal: to develop the local, regional, national, professional imperative to archive the ephemeral evidence of theatrical productions. Our contributions through this project, we feel, will develop tools and refine processes that can be adapted and used by theatres and communities of any sizes and types. We will develop a cadre of trained archivists. We also will develop coordinators, educators, spokespeople for the effort from a range of disciplines including dramaturgy.
This blog post will introduce our process of learning from one another and our first theatre archive-building site project. The ATAP NYC team focuses early in its process on the importance of testing our ideas in the day-to-day experience of a local theatre. In March 2011 ATAP NYC member Abigail Katz of Atlantic Theater Company agrees to approach her organization (and they soon take us on) to have representatives from ATAP NYC work with her company. The idea evolves to include three ATAP NYC members on the site visit team — Tiffany Nixon, Roundabout Theatre Company archivist, Sharon Lehner, Brooklyn Academy of Music archivist, me as observer. Tiffany and Sharon lead the effort bringing their practical theatre archival perspectives with their own institutional experiences at Roundabout and BAM. I attend as observer/archivist/researcher/blogger bringing my perspective as dramaturg, past training as a social scientist and current experience as an arts blogger. Abigail has multiple important roles as a member of the ATAP committee AND a member of the ATC staff.
In early April 2011 Tiffany Nixon visits the ATC administrative offices and gathers initial information about existing archiving routines, physical space and where company records are storied (including off-site storage), and holds initial discussions with management staff about what is maintained, where, and by whom.
On Wednesday April 27, 2011 Tiffany Nixon and Sharon Lehner conduct four hours of assessment interviews at the ATC administrative offices. I attend as ATAP member and observer of the process and Abigail Katz attends as ATAP and ATC staff. Six meetings are held in succession in a board room, with a total of 16 individuals from multiple ATC departments including: artistic and management, business, development, marketing, ATC school, and operations. After this visit, Abigail Katz fields ATC questions, coordinates interns and temporary help on site to clean up, rearrange, sort through old materials. Tiffany Nixon submits a confidential Archive consultant report to ATC for their review providing details and advice on how to set up their archives and other suggestions. I develop field notes as ATAP observer and distribute them to appropriate individuals for comment and correction.
At the September 26, 2011 ATAP NYC meeting, a series of follow up steps are discussed for Abby. She has been invited to visit the Roundabout Theatre archives at archivist Tiffany Nixon’s invitation. Abby plans to analyze Tiffany’s archive review report to determine next steps, including developing a staff survey and to archive ATC’s vast collection of photographs. Katz hopes to set up an ATAP training workshop for ATC staff.
The ATAP process remains to be studied, replicated, adapted to local conditions, theatre capacity and experience, and available resources. This ongoing site test of ATAP strategies continues to instruct — highlighting the value of tools already in development and tools yet to be created. The national ATAP Steering Committee has been aware of and involved in the ATAP NYC activities all along, and has provided support and encouragement. Other local and regional teams are encouraged to contact the Steering Committee if they have similar opportunities.
And our work continues.