The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts is a theater located in the historic Curtis School for Boys gymnasium building in
Brookfield, Connecticut
Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, situated within the southern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The population was 17,528 at the 2020 census. The town is located northeast of New York City, making it part ...
, located within the
Brookfield Center Historic District. The theater has a capacity of 135 people and hosts a variety of entertainment events such as films, plays, and musical performances.
Every year five community productions are chosen and each run for months at a time. Additional workshops and special events are added throughout the year, such as the Brookfield Film Festival which is held by the Brookfield Arts Commission. The festival lasts three days, and screens short and foreign films.
History
The contemporary company was established in as the "Country Players of Brookfield."
[ The name appears to reference the Brookfield Players, an acting company founded in Brookfield in the 1930s by Virgil Geddes.][Barbara Page, "Remembering the Twenties," Vassar Quarterly, Volume LXXVI, Number 4, 1 June 1980.]
Curtis School for Boys
In 1883, the Curtis School for Boys opened in Brookfield, Connecticut, after relocating from the town of Bethlehem, Connecticut
Bethlehem is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2020 census, down from 3,607 at the 2010 census. The town center is a historic district and a census-designated place (CDP).
The town's name h ...
.
The school was founded by Frederick Smiley Curtis, a mentor and educator who was also the last surviving member of the Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
Class of 1869. Curtis was born February 18, 1850, in Stratford, Connecticut and earned the PhD at Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
. He taught at West Chester University
West Chester University (also known as West Chester, WCU, or WCUPA, and officially as West Chester University of Pennsylvania) is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle ...
(Then known as Westchester Norman School), and then at Swarthmore College before founding the Curtis School.
The school campus had seven buildings, including the rustic style
Rustic architecture is a style of architecture in the United States, used in rural government and private structures and their landscape interior design. It was influenced by the American craftsman style.
According to the National Park Service, †...
stone-and-wooden beam gymnasium built in 1907. The school's property also consisted of main classrooms, a chapel, a barn and cottage. The Curtis School closed its doors in 1943.
Historic building
The Theatre is housed in the former Curtis School gymnasium, a building that was standing empty until it was purchased by the Brookfield Country Players in 1957 and remodeled as a community theater. A dressing room was added in the 1960s and, in the 1980s, a backstage space was constructed.
The building, in rustic style, originally featured a massive stone fireplace at each end of the gymnasium. While one fireplace has been walled over behind what is now the stage, the other remains "a beautiful piece of functional architecture".
Theatre
The theater organization grew to include various cultural offerings. In 2003 the name was changed to "The Brookfield Theatre for the Arts" (TBTA) to show it is intended to be a center for creativity for the greater Brookfield region. The new lobby, dedicated in 2005, has been used for informal gatherings, workshops, cultural events, and art shows. As part of the 60th anniversary celebration, the lobby was remodeled and rededicated as an art gallery with a board member acting as curator for fine art shows throughout the year.
References
External links
Official Site
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Theatres in Connecticut
Buildings and structures in Brookfield, Connecticut
Tourist attractions in Fairfield County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Private schools in Connecticut
Educational institutions established in 1883
Rustic architecture in Connecticut
1883 establishments in Connecticut