Capital Repertory Theatre has a rich, local history of excellent entertainment and strong community relationships. Established in 1981, it came into existence through the dedication and perseverance of a group of Albany business, community and civic leaders. Donated labor, materials and expertise transformed the Grand Cash Market, an abandoned supermarket at 111 North Pearl Street, into what was to become the home of Albany's first professional resident theatre.
Outreach was made to The League of Theatre Artists, a group of diverse actors, directors and playwrights, who spent summers at Art Awareness in Lexington, New York. Working together, these artists, community leaders and an army of volunteers founded Capital Repertory Company. This initial investment of time and resources created what is now the highly acclaimed, award-winning Capital Repertory Theatre with an annual operating budget of $2.3 million, and a history of producing more than 5,000 performances employing more than 1,500 professional artists.
In the past 30 years, the facility on North Pearl Street has been renovated several times, and now includes a 286-seat theatre, a café space, a costume-making shop, and a rehearsal hall. In addition to returning more than 83% of its operating budget directly back to the local community, theREP brings vitality and commerce to downtown in the form of more than 75,000 diners, shoppers, and tourists, serving as an economic engine in the entertainment district on North Pearl Street.
At the core of Capital Repertory Theatre's mission is "to create meaningful theatre with an authentic connection to the community we serve" in pursuit of these goals:
To provide significant, high-quality theatre for all people of the Capital Region,
To ensure that every student in the 14-county Capital Region experiences live theatre before high school graduation,
To take a leadership role in defining New York's Upper Hudson-Mohawk Valley as a cultural destination point, and
To make Capital Repertory Theatre synonymous with quality in every aspect of the organization: actors, productions, education programs, customer service, and civic leadership.
In all programs and services, Capital Repertory Theatre reflects its mission by embracing its community as a source of inspiration. theREP embraces cast, crew and audiences from every background to expand the horizons of thought and understanding of the human condition through the power of theatre.
Capital Repertory Theatre is a professional, not-for-profit cultural organization, and the only member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT) within fourteen counties of the Upper Hudson-Mohawk Valley.
As a proud member of LORT, an esteemed organization that promotes the positive impact of theatres in the arts and communities nationwide, theREP is able to create excellent opportunities for both up-and-coming and seasoned theatre professionals. Today, these affiliated theatres provide artists with a support system for developing new work, as well as reviving classics and perennial favorites. LORT members strive to provide hundreds of thousands of people with the opportunity to experience the highest caliber of performance right in their own communities.
