LIBRARY

The Library of the Drama School of the National Theatre was founded in 1957.

It is housed in the «Scholeio of Irene Papas» located at Moshato (Piraeus street 52) and operates as a lending library for the community of the School, the students, as well as for the teaching and administrative staff.

The collection includes about 5000 books: plays, essays on the theory and practice of theatre, as well as theater programs, magazines and literary works. The Library’s collection grew out of donations and purchases of new titles. The library of the “Professional Theatre School”, bequeathed to the National Theatre books and manuals as well as typed works used by actors in their rehearsals.

The library contitutes an integral tool for the study and cultivation of young actors and directors. The need for the establishment of a library had been identified since the first years of the school’s operation. The decision was taken by the teachers’ association in 1948, following a recommendation by the director of the school and professor of drama, K. Karthaios. The operation was delayed for a decade due to financial problems and lack of suitable accommodation.

Through the years, the Library has evolved alongside the school. Students, especially in recent decades, filled out cards borrowing books from a collection of about 3,000-3500 titles. Over time, other books wore out and others were replaced by newer editions.

The modernization of the Library and the enrichment with new titles was one of the objectives of the program for the upgrade of the Drama School of the National Theatre funded by ESPA. The Library acquired an electronic catalog and dynamically aims to fill an important gap in covering the bibliographic needs of drama students and theatre artists in general. The library undertakes collaborations and synergies, seeks donations and organizes its collection, infrastructure and services.

The immediate plans of the National Theatre include the further strengthening of the Library and the creation of a new space with the necessary infrastructure and equipment that will allow both the development as well as the optimization of the services that will be able to offer to the public.

The NTG Drama School Library is availble here