After the final curtain call and one last round of applause, everything is gone, the performance a mere memory. Or is it? Since 1924, the Dutch Theatre Collection has collected what is left behind: thousands of letters, design sketches, programmes, recordings, texts, costumes, and much more. At the Allard Pierson, the collections of the University of Amsterdam, this extensive theatre history – with objects ranging from drama to dance, from puppetry to musicals – is preserved for posterity.
Collecting Theatre offers a selection from one hundred years of the Theatre Collection. The book showcases the most beautiful, unique and fascinating objects. It gives the reader a rich insight into four centuries of Dutch theatre history and what remains after the curtain comes down for the last time.