This month marks the opening of The Children’s Theatre Company at 50… The Magic Continues, a University of Minnesota Libraries exhibit that highlights the expansive archives of the Children’s Theatre Company. In the video above, exhibit designer Darren Terpstra and exhibit curator Kate Hujda present a preview of the exhibit.

The exhibit celebrates the theatre’s monumental artistic achievements since it was founded in 1965. It will be open to the public through May 27 at the University’s Elmer L. Andersen Library.

An exhibit reception, free and open to the public, will take place April 6 at the University’s Elmer L. Andersen Library.

About the CTC archives

The University Libraries’ Performing Arts Archives welcomed the Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) archives with the arrival of over 500 boxes representing more than 50 years of history in July 2014 — capping a decade of careful discussion and planning between the University and CTC.

From CTC’s earliest days as The Moppet Players to its Tony-award winning stature today, the archive contains records dating back to the early 1960s, including:

• Scripts, scores, and costumes sketches
• Press coverage, publicity, and production notes
• Photographs, correspondence, and administrative records

About the exhibit

The exhibit highlights key materials from the collection and includes the horse and carriage from CTC’s production of Cinderella as well as props from several other CTC productions, including A Year with Frog and Toad.

“This exhibit really focuses on some of the highlights from the theatre’s commitment to education, its international collaborations, iconic productions, and to some behind-the-scenes materials – including sketches and costume bibles – that we normally don’t see as audience members,” said Kathryn Hujda, assistant curator of the Performing Arts Archives and exhibit curator. “What this exhibit does really well is highlight the contributions of local artists who have made the Children’s Theatre Company so unique, and also the contributions of national and international artists who are part of CTC’s history.”