Expanding the New Audience for Theatre, Vol. II

In June 1965 a group of dedicated professional artists of the theatre met in Paris, France, to create the International Association of Theatre for Children and Youth (ASSITEJ). Four days later ASSITEJ was born, and its story began in "Discovering A New Audience For Theatre, Volume I (1964 - 1975)." Now Volume II covers the years from 1976 - 1990 a period of the greatest divisiveness, which ultimately resulted in a rededication and a worldwide expansion under new leadership. ASSITEJ now has over 80 national centers around the world. Its Secretariat is currently in Croatia, and the members of its current Executive Committee (2008 - 2011) come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA, and Zambia. Volume III will complete this history, and will cover the years from 1991 - 2005, completing a history of the first forty years of the existence of ASSITEJ. Nat Eek, PhD is a Regents Professor Emeritus of Drama, and Dean Emeritus of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. He was personally involved in the first ten years of ASSITEJ, as a member of the Executive Committee, a Vice-President, and ultimately its President. He was named Honorary President of ASSITEJ. He has attended all the International Congresses of this History with the exception of the Moscow Congress in 1984. Ann Shaw, EdD is an Associate Professor Emerita from Queens College of the City College of New York, a research historian of ASSITEJ, an Honorary Member of ASSITEJ International, an authority in creative dramatics and theatre for the handicapped, a former Vice-President of ASSITEJ and Founding President of ASSITEJ/USA (now TYA/USA), the USA national center for ASSITEJ. She has attended the International Congresses of this History in 1972, and from 1978 through 2005. Katherine Kryzs is the Curator of the Child Drama Collection and Theatre Specialist for the Arizona State University Libraries, where the archives of ASSITEJ/USA and personal documentation about ASSITEJ are held. Her archival training includes The Modern Archive Institute at the National Archives in Washington, DC. She has also attended several of the International Congresses.