Why “Amateur?”—because we’ve always been and always will be a volunteer theater troupe, and because our name emerged from a gilt-edged era when its meaning for the love of described many highly proficient practitioners such as legendary amateur golfer Bobby Jones.

 

While founded in 1884, not until 35 years later did we own our current home, a pair of attached carriage houses on East 36th Street’s Sniffen Court. It was renovated to make a 100-seat theater on the first floor and on the second, a kitchen, workroom, dressing rooms and a Green Room. 

 

Not until the 1960s were our productions exclusively done in the clubhouse; until then, various large theaters around the city were rented—but since 1884, our unbroken record of major productions through present day make us the oldest continuously performing theater group in America.

 

We have two membership categories; Active Members, the diligent volunteer cohort who maintain the premises, mount plays and provide various other entertainments, and Associate Members, our audience family of subscribers.