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Founded in 1943 by Sam Jaffe, representing Actors' Equity, and George Freedley, at the time curator of the New York Public Library Theatre Collection, Equity Library Theatre, or ELT, was designed to provide a showcase for young actors, directors, and technicians and to create an audience from among those who could not afford commercial theatre. A nonâ€profit organization, it originally presented its plays at libraries and charged no admission but asked instead for a contribution to help sustain it. Beginning in 1949, it operated its own theatre, first at the Lenox Hill Playhouse and later at other auditoriums. Actors whose careers were helped by early appearances with the organization include James Earl Jones, Richard Kiley, and Jason Robards. Financial problems forced its closing during the 1989–90 season.
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