OUR MISSION

Theater Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB) is the only professional Off-Broadway theater company dedicated to advancing artists and developing audiences of people with disabilities and altering the misperceptions surrounding disability by proving, once and for all, that disability does not affect the quality or integrity of our art or artists. We began in 1979 and are currently celebrating our 48th season!

8 actors on stage, they are sitting and raising one of their arms in the air. The majority of the actors are light-skinned, 2 actors are African-Americans, one is Asian and another one is Middle-Eastern.

OUR HISTORY

For our first 28 years, we were known as Theater By The Blind, but increasingly we felt we must include artists with all disabilities. So in 2008, we officially changed our name to Theater Breaking Through Barriers, retaining our "TBTB" acronym & becoming the home base Off-Broadway theater for people with disabilities.

We have an outstanding mission that is uniquely ours, and we have acquired what we think is a well-deserved reputation for excellence.  The New York Times calls us: “an extraordinary troupe designed to defy expectations."  The New York Post says we are: “quite simply one of the most enjoyable companies in the country,” and Theatermania.com touted us as: "one of New York's best little theater companies."

6 actors, 4 men and 2 women, light-skinned. 5 of them are standing and have an instrument in their hands, one woman is in a wheelchair and she’s clapping her hand.

OUR VISION

It has always been TBTB’s over-arching goal to dispel the negative stereotypes surrounding disability in our world by creating an artistic environment, where disabled and non-disabled artists of all races, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ages could work together equally. By accomplishing this we believe we can normalize disability and establish a level playing field for all. We believe that through artistic excellence and the development of role models, we can make our claim at last for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society.

The time for our most significant growth and influence is now. This July marks the 36th anniversary of the passing of Americans with Disabilities Act. 61,000,000 of us, 1 in 4 people (over 26%), are living with a disability. Yet nothing close to this is visible in the media. Only 4% of characters on TV exhibit a disability and only 1.5% are allowed to speak. While disabled artists are just now beginning to be recognized and cast on TV and in films in disabled roles, we remain as one of the most marginalized groups in our society today.

Disability is the only diversity that cuts across all racial, gender, social, and class distinctions. Disability knows no age, race, religion, gender, culture, or sexual orientation. As such, we view disability as a common ground, where the voices from every sector of our society can come together to be represented and expressed. To accomplish this, it is imperative that we reach out to all members of our society, so they know our voice and realize that we serve and represent them.