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 talkbacks, and subscriber nights
Participating in community outreach
Over its history, BTE has produced over 117 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.
