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Founded by Woodie King, Jr. in 1970, New Federal Theatre grew out of a theatre program at Mobilization for Youth. This neighborhood based professional theatre was originally funded by Henry Street Settlement along with a small grant from the New York State Council on the Arts. The theatre’s first season was launched in the basement of St. Augustine’s Church on Henry Street. In 1974 the construction of the Henry Street Settlement’s Louis Abrons Arts Center located at 466 Grand Street was completed. The physical plan included three theaters, rehearsal studios and modern stage equipment. All of which was made available to NFT.

In March, 1996, New Federal Theatre’s administrative offices returned to St. Augustine’s Church but maintains its production and training programs at Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Arts Center.
Specializing in minority drama, NFT has brought the joy of the living stage to many minorities who live in the surrounding Lower East Side community and the greater metropolitan area. NFT has provided emerging playwrights with the opportunity to have their work produced; it has brought minority actors, directors and designers to national attention and sponsored a variety of ethnic theatre groups and events. The vocational training workshops prepare minority people for employment in theatre and theatre related fields. Most importantly, NFT provides the multi-ethnic Lower East Side as well as New York metropolitan area audiences with first-rate theatre relating to the interest of different cultural groups.

Twenty-nine years later, it is almost impossible to turn on a television and not see a former student from NFT. Writers first presented at NFT are now part of the literary mainstream of American Playwrights. Many plays have reached national significance and much wider audiences through having been showcased at NFT. Because of the work of NFT, such playwrights as: J.e Franklin, Ron Milner, Ed Bullins, Bill Harris, Amiri Baraka, Joseph Lizardi, Ntozake Shange, David Henry Hwang, Damien Leake, Genny Lim, Laurence Holder, Alexis DeVeaux, and several others have been brought to national attention. Many actors are starring in television series as well as motion pictures: Jackee Harry, Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Debbie Allen, Phylicia Rashad, Dick Anthony Williams, Glynn Turman, Taurean Blacque, Esther Rolle, Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Garrett Morris, Robert Downey Jr., Sam MacMurray, Debbie Morgan, Lynn Whitfield, Reginald Vel-Johnson, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and so many more who, at one time, performed in an NFT production.

New Federal Theatre provides educational workshops in playwriting and drama workshops for adults and teens. Our overall intention of each workshop is to provide its students with instruction and training by working professionals in their various discipline, i.e. acting and playwriting. The study of acting techniques and playwriting serves as an effective educational tool and enhances one’s confidence, self-esteem and cultural awareness.

The Workshops include:
The Adult Acting Workshop provides prospective professionals with the neces- sary skills in script analysis, scene study, improvisation, monologues, movement and voice. This workshop is conducted weekly by a noted professional in the field.

The Teen Drama Workshop offers scholarships to students from New York City’s public high schools. NFT’s instructor, Pawnee Sills makes several recommendations to casting agents enlisting teens for television episodes, com- mercials, etc. More importantly, the work- shop remains NFT’s link to young audiences, developing their interests and exposure to minority drama and the American Theater. The Teen On-The-Job Training Program hires teens during the summer, places them on theatre related sites, and conducts seminars on theatre (i.e. Technical Theatre, Costume Design, Lighting Design, etc.)

The Playwrights Workshop is facilitated by one of NFT’s produced playwrights. The workshop provides an opportunity for up-and-coming playwrights to have their work presented in front of an audience at Saturday readings with and professional director and a full cast. Playwright participants are given one-on-one instruction with the facilitator and group dialogue about the work is held after the readings.