Dear Friends of Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, 

Thank you for joining us. We look forward to seeing you again in that special shared space that live theatre creates. It’s because of you that BTE continues to provide the high quality, ensemble-based theater for our community.

Live theatre is a unique and essential element of a vibrant culture and community. It reminds us what it means to be human. By immersing us in the perspective of those different from ourselves, it makes tangible the commonality of our existence. By creating a unique experience – in the moment between audience and artists, we acknowledge and celebrate our humanity.

BTE is a place for artists, students and community members to celebrate live theatre. It is your theatre because BTE is a part of the structure of the community – both the educational component of College of DuPage and the culture and life of DuPage County. Every performance nurtures a shared experience, enriching each of us.

Thank you for helping us “Give Stories Life.”

Sincerely,

The Ensemble

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Buffalo Theatre Ensemble (BTE) was founded in 1986 as a professional ensemble in residence at the College of DuPage (COD). Modeled after Kansas City Repertory Theatre, BTE was created with the dual purpose of producing quality professional theatre—focusing on plays that ask audiences to explore provocative themes and embrace the human condition—and providing the college with a training program where students could work side by side with professional actors, designers and directors. The professional company members augment the college’s educational mission creating workshops, presenting demonstrations, and participating in community outreach.

Our mission is to provide a forum in which artists, scholars, writers, students and community members explore new ideas and provocative issues through the production of high-quality theatre for the enjoyment of its audiences. Company members and visiting artists are a vital part of BTE’s mission and thereby the fabric of the DuPage County community:

• Producing, initially, a three-show season
• Creating master classes for students
• Presenting demonstrations of theatre arts
• Hosting pre-show discussions,  post-performance talk backs, and subscriber nights
• Participating in community outreach

Over its history, BTE has produced over 120 productions presenting well over 2,000 performances, featuring world and regional premieres, productions presented in rotating repertory, and productions that were remounted in a second run in a Chicago venue.

Though BTE is in its third decade of producing professional theatre, it was only in the fall of 2016 that we established ourselves as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3). Prior to this, BTE operated under the College of DuPage Foundation’s 501(c)(3) status.