Professional theatre for young people, created by statute by the NYS

Legislature in 1974. The New York State Theatre Institute had a strong

educational mission: to provide internships to high school seniors and college

students and to employ the theatre as a catalyst for interdisciplinary learning

across the curriculum for elementary, middle and high school students.

Told by its founding director, Patricia Di Benedetto

Snyder, this 36-year history chronicles the Institute's

formative years at SUNY Albany, its productions and

education at The Egg on Albany's Empire State Plaza,

the Kennedy Center, at regional theatres, off-

Broadway, Broadway and at Russell Sage College.

Commentary from artists, teachers, parents, government officials and interns

compliment the narrative, as do accounts of the unexpected political headwinds

they faced along the way.

The company of teacher-artists toured productions to all 62 counties of New York

State, serving more than nine million young people, their families and their schools.

The Institute was an advocate for cultural exchange, hosting both individual artists

and exchanges with companies from Russia, France, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Italy,

Israel, Jordan, England, Scotland, Sweden and Canada, helping young audiences

discover that many of us in the world share the same aspirations.

The book is set in a richly designed world of

poster art by Winslow Pels and Dahl Taylor,

featuring designer renderings by Patrizia von

Brandenstein, Stuart Wurtzel, Richard Finkelstein, Brent Griffin and

Gregg Barnes, and production photographs by Tim Raab and Joseph

Schuyler. Book design by Rob DeLuke at TILT36T.

"The Theatre Institute may well prove to be one of the most important

theatrical institutions in the state,

if not the entire country." - Frank Rich, New York Times

All proceeds from sales of the book are donated to iTheatre Saratoga