Inside the Roundabout Archives Day 8- LAURA PELS THEATRE

Roundabout Theatre Company recently announced the theatre organization's permanent archives, which document the company's illustrious 46-year production history. The archives are a resource for the theatre community, Roundabout's audiences, students and researchers. The digital archives showcase selections from Roundabout's general collection, featuring items that chronicle and celebrate the company's impact on the American theatre movement, and BroadwayWorld is excited to share featured pieces from the archives. Featured today:

Laura Pels THEATRE:

Invitation for Marquee Lighting Ceremony of the newly renovated Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. February 26, 2004. Roundabout Theatre Company Archives.

Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, home of the Laura Pels Theatre

Roundabout has a long history with Laura Pels (its first Laura Pels Theatre was located in the Criterion Center) and in 2004 announced major support by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, combining the Laura Pels Theatre with a newly formed Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre to house the excellent Off-Off and Off Broadway work produced by the company. Within the gut renovaTed Steinberg Center, Roundabout's education department produces its yearly Student Production Workshops; Black Box productions by emerging playwrights are staged under the banner of Roundabout Underground; and outstanding Off-Broadway plays are staged in the Laura Pels Theatre, most recently the critically acclaimed Sons of the Prophet, by playwright Stephen Karam.

During the last 46 years Roundabout has become one of the country's largest non-profit theatre organizations yet, until 2008, had no central repository for its records. Having re-located several times since 1965, many historical documents have moved to private hands, been collected by souvenir hunters, been thrown out or given away. The materials that exist were scattered among Roundabout's buildings, theatres and off-site storage and were in need of urgent archival care and preservation.

With the establishment of the permanent archives, Roundabout documents and preserves its rich history and offers access to the collection by the theatre community and qualified researchers. Materials connected to staging live theatre, such as scripts, letters and negotiations, marketing publications, photos and memorabilia are carefully preserved and will provide valuable record of Roundabout's legacy and contribution to the American theatre movement.

The physical archives are located at Roundabout's administrative offices at 231 W. 39th Street. Appointments to access the collection must be made in advance. Tiffany Nixon is the on-staff archivist.

Click here to visit the archives.