Trinity Repertory Company

Trinity Repertory Company

Trinity Rep
File:TrinityRepertoryTheater.jpg
Trinity Repertory Company
Address	201 Washington Street
Location	Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinates
Owner	The Foundation for Repertory Theater of Rhode Island, Inc.
Type	Regional theatre
Capacity	Chace Theater: 500 Dowling Theater: 300
Opened	21 March 1963 (1963-03-21)
Website
www.trinityrep.com
Trinity Square Repertory Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Built	1916
Architect	William R. Walker & Son
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
Part of	Downtown Providence Historic District (#84001967)
NRHP Reference #	72000004
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 5, 1972
Designated CP	February 10, 1984

Trinity Repertory Company (commonly abbreviated as Trinity Rep) is a non-profit regional theater located at 201 Washington Street in Providence, Rhode Island. The theater is a member of the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1963, the theater is "one of the most respected regional theatres in the country". Featuring the last longstanding Resident Acting Company in the U.S., Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works, including an annual production of A Christmas Carol, for an estimated annual audience of 120,000. In its 52-year history, the theater has produced nearly 58 world premieres, mounted national and international tours and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program launched in 1966, annually introduces over 15,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut high school students to live theater through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops (See: YASI).

History

Trinity Rep was founded when a small group of Rhode Island citizens sought to create a professional resident theater company in Providence. Incorporated as "The Foundation for Repertory Theater of Rhode Island, Inc." on March 21, 1963, the group hired Adrian Hall, a New York-based director originally from Texas. At Trinity United Methodist Church, located in Trinity Square, the first production "The Hostage" by Brendan Behan, opened on March 14, 1964. In 1968, Trinity Rep performed at the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland, the first American theater company to do so. The company received the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater Company in 1981, produced four television productions for PBS, toured India and Syria, and has a strong commitment to the development of new works.

The Trinity Rep Conservatory opened in 1977, serving as a training ground for actors. A partnership in 2001 between Trinity Rep and Brown University created the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA program for degrees in theatrical arts.

From its roots in Providence's Trinity United Methodist Church, Trinity Repertory Company moved in 1973 to its present home the Lederer Theater Center in downtown Providence. Formerly a historical vaudeville performance house known as the Emery Majestic Theatre, the historic building houses two performance spaces: the 500-plus seat Chace Theater and the 300-seat Dowling Theater, as well as offices, production shops, and rehearsal halls. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Artistic directors

• Adrian Hall (1963–1989)
• Anne Bogart (1989–1990)
• Richard Jenkins (1990–1994)
• Oskar Eustis (1994–2005)
• Amanda Dehnert (2005–2006, Acting Artistic Director)
• Curt Columbus (2006–Present)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Providence, Rhode Island

External links

• Trinity Repertory Company Official website
• Trinity Repertory Company at the Internet Broadway Database
• Article about Richard Jenkins at Trinity Rep