“America on Stage”

Arguably one of the most overlooked aspects of the McNay is the the museum’s impressive Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts, which boasts more than 12,00o objects spanning from the 1500s to the present day. Built around a sprawling gift from late collector, philanthropist, theater patron and design enthusiast Robert L.B. Tobin and expanded by curators Linda Hardberger and Jody Blake, the collection encompasses rare books, small-scale models, costume illustrations and stage designs created by modern masters such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. Organized by Head of Curatorial Affairs René Paul Barilleaux and Curatorial Assistant Timothy Retzloff, the recently opened exhibition “America on Stage” aims to celebrate “the vision of the nation’s 20th- and 21st-century master designers on stages across the U.S. and around the world.” Exploring four key themes — Broadway, Nostalgia, Breaking Tradition, and Social Justice — the show combines maquettes from productions of Cabaret, In the Heights, West Side Story and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; a pop-up theater where guests can view scenes from a conceptual revival of Spring Awakening; and interactive areas that invite museum-goers to “take center stage in a recreated stage set — and even tap dance.”