Long Wharf Theatre and New Haven Museum Present: Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond

Long Wharf Theatre and New Haven Museum Present: 
Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond

A multi-gallery exhibition celebrating the theatre’s rich history and bold future

New Haven, CT – Long Wharf Theatre (Artistic Director Jacob G. Padrón) and the New Haven Museum are thrilled to announce Invitation to Engage: 60 Years of Long Wharf Theatre & Beyond, an immersive multi-gallery exhibition opening May 21, 2025. Running through February 2026, this interactive retrospective marks the culmination of Long Wharf Theatre’s 60th anniversary season—Building Our Future Together—honoring six decades of transformative theatre-making while casting a bold vision for the road ahead.

“For 60 years, Long Wharf Theatre has been steadfast in its commitment to groundbreaking storytelling and world-class artistry,” said Jacob G. Padrón, Artistic Director of Long Wharf Theatre. “This exhibition is both a reflection and a promise—it’s a moment to honor the trailblazing artists and productions that have shaped our history while passing the torch to the future. As Long Wharf Theatre embraces a new model, one that brings theatre into unexpected spaces and deeper into the heart of our community, we invite audiences to step inside this living history and help us imagine what comes next.”

Presented in partnership with the New Haven Museum (114 Whitney Ave, New Haven, CT), Invitation to Engage spans three museum spaces—the rotunda, the gray gallery, and the center gallery. Visitors will encounter a dynamic mix of archival treasures, interactive rehearsal spaces, and a dedicated gallery highlighting the artists who are shaping Long Wharf Theatre’s next chapter. Featuring more than 400 productions—from The Crucible in 1965 to She Loves Me in 2024—the exhibition traces Long Wharf Theatre’s legacy of artistic innovation, radical inclusivity, and commitment to new work—one that has featured iconic artists such as Al Pacino, Stockard Channing, Anna Deavere Smith, Larry Kramer, Phylicia Rashad, and John Lithgow, and many more. 

“The New Haven Museum is honored to celebrate this milestone with Long Wharf Theatre,” said Margaret Anne Tockarshewsky, Executive Director of the New Haven Museum. “This exhibition is more than a retrospective; it’s a bridge connecting the past, present, and future of one of New Haven’s most influential cultural institutions. It reminds us how theatre can reflect our world, challenge us, and bring us together.”

As Long Wharf Theatre pioneers a new model—presenting productions in 26 venues across seven cities and towns since 2023—the exhibition reflects this bold evolution. No longer confined to a single stage, the company is expanding its reach, transforming unexpected locations into places of performance, and bringing theatre to audiences where they are. Invitation to Engage underscores this transformation, showing how the company’s history of innovation continues to propel it forward.

In addition to the exhibition, Long Wharf Theatre will offer a series of public programs, including artist talks, hands-on workshops, and a mobile museum that will bring the experience into neighborhoods across Greater New Haven.

“Sixty years ago, Long Wharf Theatre was founded at the dawn of the regional theatre movement, and today, we’re redefining what regional theatre can be,” added Padrón. “This exhibition invites our community to be part of that journey—to look back, engage in the present, and dream forward.”

Invitation to Engage is a collaboration with local artists, including Ming Thompson, Celia Poirier, and Herin Kaputkin. Long Wharf Theatre is thankful for their support as they craft this new experience.  

This project is made possible in part by the generous support of the Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs.

For more information, visit https://www.longwharf.org/invitation-to-engage-60-years-of-long-wharf-theatre-beyond