If you're a theatre fan living in New York City, and especially if you're a theatre student or artist, you've likely heard about the New York Public Library's Theatre on Film and Tape Archive, which contains countless full videos of Broadway, Off-Broadway, and even regional productions from the 1970s. Anyone can come in and view these filmed productions in the NYPL's screening room. Recently, new titles were added to the archive, including The Phantom of the Opera (with the original cast); Kiss of the Spiderwoman; Dreamgirls; A Chorus Line; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812; In the Heights; the 2022 Broadway revival of Company; and the 2018 Broadway revival of Carousel.
TOFT only puts productions in its archive after they have closed. So with Phantom's recent closure, you might imagine people lining up down the block to see the never-before-seen footage of the original 1988 cast.
But it's not as simple as just walking into a movie theatre—the purpose of the archive is to serve as a resource, not an entertainment venue. So, what are the stipulations? How can you view something in the archives?