Theatre On Film and Tape Archive (TOFT)
The ('TOFT) at the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts houses films and videotapes of New York and regional theater productions. the core material of the collection consists of their own recordings of Broadway and Off-Broadway presentations, with additional material from professional regional productions in the New York area, as well as interviews and dialogues with industry figures. The productions are recorded by the center on digital video tape during live performances, and are intended to represent as closely as possible a typical performance as seen in the theater, without additional artistic interpretation by the videographer. Occasionally, where outside or commercial versions are available, or closely related material, these two are added to the collection, Currently about 50 recordings a year are produced, covering most important productions. As of the 2011 annual report, the collection included 7227 titles, a total of 19,240 items
The archive was started in 1970, and grew and flourished through the 1970s and beyond, under the administrative guidance of its founder and first director Betty Corwin until her retirement in 2000. Ms. Corwin and the Archive were subsequently awarded a Special Tony Award for "Excellence in the Theatre" at the 55th Annual Tony Awards.
The collection maintains contracts with Actor's Equity and other theatrical unions and guilds, thus enabling clearances for the non-commercial videotaping of live theatre. The collection is housed on the third floor of the Library for the Performing Arts. The recordings may be viewed by anyone with a professional or research interest, but may not be reproduced. Users consist of actors preparing for auditions, students of acting, students of the theater, and researchers. About two-thirds of the collection is listed in the main NYPL catalog, though some are still available only in local lists.
The collection is considered one of the most comprehensive collections of videotaped theatre productions in the world.
Read more about this topic: New York Public Library For The Performing Arts
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