Mission Statement: Theatre Development Fund, a not-for-profit organization, was created with the conviction that the live theatrical arts afford a unique expression of the human condition that must be sustained and nurtured. TDF’s twofold mission is to identify and provide support, including financial assistance, to theatrical works of artistic merit, and to encourage and enable diverse audiences to attend live theatre and dance in all their venues.
1968
- Theatre Development Fund, a not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts, is founded. Opens temporary headquarters at Rockefeller Brothers Fund
- Theatre subsidy program begins with student tickets purchased to The Great White Hope
1971 - TDF Membership Program started
1972 - Voucher Program for off off Broadway theatre
1973 - TKTS opens in Father Duffy Square
1974 - Costume Collection opens
- Dance Voucher
- Lower Manhattan TKTS opened in October on William Street
1976 - TDF offices move to 1501 Broadway
1978 - Music Voucher Created
1979 - Theatre Access Project formed
- Arts/Boston created after TDF consultation
1980 - Dance Subsidy Program
- First sign-interpreted performance (The Elephant Man) Dec
- British version of TKTS opened, TDF consulting, in Leicester Square
1983 - Lower Manhattan TKTS booth moved from William Street to Two World
Trade Center
1986 - tdfsightlines began publication in May
1987 - NYC/ONSTAGE arts hotline launched
1988 - New enlarged TKTS booth installed in June, celebrating 15 years of TKTS
1989 - TDF Travel began with first package tour to London
1991 - TDF assumes responsibility for The Astaire Awards
- Spanish language information available on NYC/ONSTAGE
- TDF and Juilliard join to administer first course on Signing for the Theatre
1993 - Bomb explosion at World Trade Center Feb. 23 closing TKTS Lower
Manhattan booth. By March 15, it was operating in temporary quarters at
Manhattan Savings Bank at Four W.T.C.
- Irene Sharaff Award to Irene Sharaff June 15 at Costume Collection
1993 - First Robert Whitehead Award presented by C.T.I. to
- Susan Gallin and Ben Mordecai
1994 - Mayor Giuliani presents citation to TDF honoring 25th at June 6 Gracie
Mansion reception for theatre
1995 - Stage Doors Program launched in January as TDF
- Lexus Project for Student Audiences
- TAP in January develops Talking Hands program sending deaf children
to theatre
- TDF created Residency Arts Project (RAP), a playwriting residency
in NYC high schools
1996 - TDF website www.tdf.org launches
- Play by Play is first published
1999 - TKTS2K Competition to design a new TKTS Booth is announced
- Open Doors Program begins (Wendy Wasserstein Project)
2000 - First London Tour for persons with hearing loss
- TAP Open Captions RSC in London
2001 - WTC destroyed in Attack
- TDF begins selling tickets online
- WTC TKTS Booth relocated to temporary location at Bowling Green Plaza
2002 - Downtown Booth relocates to South Street Seaport
2003 - TAP Open Captions Off Broadway
2004 - TAP Open Captions Bay Street Playhouse
- Costume Collection moves to new space
2006 - Duffy Square renovation breaks ground
- TKTS moves to temporary location outside New York Marriott Marquis
2008 - TKTS Downtown Brooklyn opens in MetroTech Center
- TKTS returns to Duffy Square to its new permanent location "under the red steps".