Creative principles of formation of the American Repertory Theater (ART)

Abstract

The article raises the principles of the functioning of the American Repertory Theater (ART), founded in 1980 by Artistic Director Robert Brustein, together with Robert Orchard, in the first decades of its development. There is not the state theater in the USA, it is a public organization and exists thanks to the support of the audience and philanthropists. Many regional theaters in America are supported this way, including ART, which, in its turn, was able to form a guest troupe, repertoire policy and make many educational programs that help to form an audience. Exploring the multilateral activities of the American Repertory Theater the author dwells on positive examples of the development of the company, which has become in many ways the benchmark for many American regional theatres. The example of the American Repertory Theater shows the possibility of the emergence and development of the American regional theatre as part of a national theatre process. The research method is the study of numerous data on the principles of the formation of the creative core, working with the audience, analysis of the characteristic model of a regional theatre. The author proves that thanks to the professional efforts of artistic leadership, the American Repertory Theater has become a phenomenon that is spread among American theatres.