American National Theatre and Academy

American National Theatre and Academy (ANTA). Chartered by Congress in 1935, it was to provide a “people's” self‐supporting national theatre. The word “self‐supporting” allowed Congress to refuse financial assistance. The commercial theatre, bucking the Great Depression, displayed little interest in supporting the undertaking. Enthusiasm or distaste for the concurrent Federal Theatre Project also held back development. After World War II the organization was reorganized with a new board that included representatives from all important facets of the theatre. However, for several seasons its work consisted largely of offering encouragement and advice. In 1950 it purchased the Guild Theatre, renamed it the ANTA, and began to produce a series of revivals and new plays, starting with The Tower Beyond Tragedy. Although several of the mountings, notably a brilliant revival of Twentieth Century and Mrs. McThing, were successful, the series soon petered out. In 1963, while the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center was under construction, ANTA built a temporary theatre on Washington Square for use by the company that was planned as the Center's repertory ensemble. With time ANTA simply leased its theatre to commercial productions, while retaining offices in the house. However, with growing financial difficulties and some sense of purposelessness, the theatre was sold in 1981. Working with the Denver Center, in 1984 it established the National Theatre Conservatory in the Colorado city. The Conservatory is a performing arts school that, at long last, is supposed to act as “the final ‘A’ in ANTA.” ANTA West was established as a West Coast branch, while in the 1990s principal offices began the move from New York to Washington.