Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, Film archive division in Lincoln Center Plaza, Manhattan, United States
The Theatre on Film and Tape Archive is a division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts that collects and stores professional video recordings of Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. The collection contains thousands of theater performance recordings that are available for viewing there.
The archive was founded in 1970 by Betty L. Corwin after she secured agreements with theater unions to allow the recording of live performances. This founding marked the beginning of systematic theater production preservation.
The archive preserves recordings of stage performances that researchers and theater professionals can watch today to see how actors worked and how productions were designed. The collection shows the evolution of theater over decades and lets people compare techniques and styles from different periods.
Visitors can access the Lucille Lortel screening room on the third floor of the library during operating hours Monday through Saturday without needing to make an appointment in advance. It is helpful to check the exact hours before visiting to make sure the collection is available.
The collection includes the first recorded performance of Golden Bat, a 1970 Off-Broadway Japanese rock musical that marks the beginning of systematic theater preservation. This early recording documents a rare experimental work that would otherwise be difficult to track down.
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