- American Theatre Wing
The American Theatre Wing (the "Wing" for short; originally part of the WWII Allied Relief Fund) is a
New York City -based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to itsmission statement . ATW created and sponsors the prestigious Tony Awards in theatrical arts.In 1939, a group of theatrical women led by
Rachel Crothers andAntoinette Perry founded the organization inManhattan . All were active inBroadway theater , aspatrons oractors or both, and many had supported the Stage Women's War Relief Fund, an earlier effort. With the entry of theUnited States intoWorld War II , the Wing established theStage Door Canteen to entertain American servicemen.With the close of the war, the Wing concentrated on holding
seminars aboutAmerican theater , and on funding numerousscholarship grants. It sponsored the First American Congress of Theatre (FACT) in 1974, and is best known as creator and owner of "The American Theatre Wing's Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre" -- the Tony Awards -- named for its co-founder and wartime Chair.The initial presentation of its Tony Awards program on
radio andtelevision wasbroadcast only locally in New York City. In 1967, it partnered with the League of New York Theatre and Producers, now calledThe Broadway League , to present them on nationwidenetwork television .Besides the Tonys, ATW operates an array of programs to support its goals, including:
* The long-running "Working In The Theatre" series of televised seminars with top practitioners in the field;
* Downstage Center, a weekly radio theatricalinterview show onXM Satellite Radio ;
* A free audio and video archive of theatrical seminars and discussions at www.americantheatrewing.org;
* Theatre Company Grants, awarding some 50 grants annually to New Yorknot-for-profit theater companies;
* The annual ATWHenry Hewes Awards for achievement in theatricaldesign in New York City;
* The Jonathan Larson Grants, support and recognition for emerging musical theatre writers;
* SpringboardNYC, a two-week, college-to-career arts "boot camp";
* Theatre Intern Group, a networking andprofessional development group for young people who work in theatrical offices.External links
* [http://www.americantheatrewing.org/ American Theatre Wing website]
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