The Lucille Lortel Theatre is an

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

playhouse at 121

Christopher Street Christopher Street is a street in the West Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the continuation of 9th Street west of Sixth Avenue. It is most notable for the Stonewall Inn, which is located on Christopher St ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

's West Village. It was built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater called the New Hudson, later known as Hudson Playhouse. The interior is largely unchanged to this day. In the early 1950s, the site was converted to an off-Broadway theater as , opening on June 9, 1953, with a production of ''Maya'', a play by

Simon Gantillon Simon Gantillon (7 January 1887 in Lyon – 9 September 1961 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a 20th-century French screenwriter and playwright. Filmography ; Screenwriter * 1932: '' Sergeant X'' by Vladimir Strizhevsky * 1938: ''Gibraltar'' by Fedor ...

starring Kay Medford, Vivian Matalon, and

Susan Strasberg Susan Elizabeth Strasberg (May 22, 1938 – January 21, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Imagined to be the next Hepburn-type ingenue, she was nominated for a Tony Award at age 18, playing the title role in ''The Diary ...

. It closed after seven performances. Much more successful was ''

The Threepenny Opera ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, ''The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François Villon, with music ...

'' which opened March 10, 1954, with a cast that included Bea Arthur, John Astin,

Lotte Lenya Lotte Lenya (born Karoline Wilhelmine Charlotte Blamauer; 18 October 1898 – 27 November 1981) was an Austrian-American singer, diseuse, and actress, long based in the United States. In the German-speaking and classical music world, she is best ...

Leon Lishner Leon, Léon (French) or León (Spanish) may refer to: Places Europe * León, Spain, capital city of the Province of León * Province of León, Spain * Kingdom of León, an independent state in the Iberian Peninsula from 910 to 1230 and again fro ...

, Scott Merrill, Gerald Price,

Charlotte Rae Charlotte Rae Lubotsky (April 22, 1926 – August 5, 2018) was an American character actress and singer whose career spanned six decades. Rae was known for her portrayal of Edna Garrett in the sitcoms ''Diff'rent Strokes'' and its spin-off, '' ...

and

Jo Sullivan Elizabeth Josephine Sullivan Loesser (née Sullivan; August 28, 1927 – April 28, 2019) was an American actress and high lyric soprano singer. She became a musical theatre star with her performance in the original production of '' The Most Happ ...

. Because of an incoming booking, it was forced to close after 96 performances. Re-opening September 20, 1955, with largely the same cast, ''The Threepenny Opera'' this time played until December 17, 1961, a then record-setting run for a musical in New York City. In 1955, financier Louis Schweitzer acquired the building as an anniversary present for his wife, actress-producer

Lucille Lortel Lucille Lortel (née Wadler, December 16, 1900 – April 4, 1999) was an American actress, artistic director, and theatrical producer. In the course of her career Lortel produced or co-produced nearly 500 plays, five of which were nominated for ...

. In 1981, the year of her 81st birthday, the theatre was renamed in her honor. After Lortel's death in April 1999, she left the theatre to the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

Timeline of productions

*1953: ''Maya'' *1953: '' The Scarecrow'' *1953: ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'' *1953: ''

The Little Clay Cart ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' *1953: ''Little Red Riding Hood'' *1953: ''End as a Man'' *1953: '' The Knight of the Burning Pestle'' *1953: ''Moon in Capricorn'' *1954: ''Bullfight'' *1954: ''

'' *1955: ''The Immortal Husband'' *1955: ''Teach Me How to Cry'' *1955: ''

'' *1956: ''

Cry, the Beloved Country ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' is a 1948 novel by South African writer Alan Paton. Set in the prelude to apartheid in South Africa, it follows a black village priest and a white farmer who must deal with news of a murder. American publisher Benne ...

'' *1956: ''Lovers, Villains and Fools of Shakespeare'' *1956: ''U.S.A.'' *1957: ''The Happy Prince'' *1957: ''The Birthday of the Infanta'' *1957: ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' *1957: '' Pelléas and Mélisande'' *1957: ''Metamorphosis'' *1957: '' Candida'' *1957: ''World Famous Dramatic Recitals'' *1957: ''Pale Horse, Pale Rider'' *1957: ''Santa Claus'' *1957: ''For the Time Being'' *1958: ''

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

'' *1958: ''Guests of the Nation'' *1958: ''Aria Da Capo'' *1958: ''Maidens and Mistresses at Home at the Zoo'' *1958: ''The Catbird Seat'' *1958: '' Riders to the Sea'' *1958: '' Blood Wedding'' *1958: ''Curtains Up'' *1959: ''Philoctetes (Andre Gide play)'' *1959: '' Philoctetes (Sophocles play)'' *1959: ''Sweet Confession'' *1959: '' I Rise in Flame, Cried the Phoenix'' *1959: ''Soul Gone Home'' *1959: ''Shakespeare in Harlem'' *1959: ''This Music Crept by Me Upon the Waters'' *1959: ''

A Masque of Reason A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

'' *1959: '' The Purification'' *1959: ''Glory in the Flower'' *1960: '' Victims of Duty'' *1960: ''Notes from the Underground'' *1960: ''Too Close for Comfort'' *1960: ''The Gay Apprentice'' *1960: ''The Coggerers'' *1960: ''Time to Go'' *1960: ''Nekros'' *1960: ''Fam and Yam'' *1960: ''

Embers ''Embers'' is a radio play by Samuel Beckett. It was written in English in 1957. First broadcast on the BBC Third Programme on 24 June 1959, the play won the RAI prize at the Prix Italia awards later that year. Donald McWhinnie directed Jack ...

'' *1960: ''The Lady Akane'' *1960: ''Hanjo'' *1960: ''The Shepherd's Chameleon'' *1964: ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' *1967: ''The Viewing'', ( Lyle Kessler); The Deer Park *1967

Now Is the Time for All Good Men ''Now Is the Time for All Good Men'' is a musical with music by Nancy Ford, book and lyrics and by Gretchen Cryer. The show premiered Off-Broadway in 1967. Production The musical premiered Off-Broadway at the Theatre De Lys on September 26, 196 ...

*1968: '' House of Flowers''; '' Private Lives'' *1968 Futz *1969: '' Dames at Sea'' *1971: ''

Black Girl Black women are women of sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic descent, as well as women of Australian Aboriginal and Melanesian descent. The term 'Black' is a racial classification of people, the definition of which has shifted over time and acr ...

'' *1971 Acrobats/Line *1973: ''

Moonchildren ''Moonchildren'' (originally titled ''Cancer'') is a play by Brooklyn-based playwright Michael Weller. The play chronicles a year in the life of the "moonchildren" referred to in the title: eight college students living communally together in an ...

'' *1973: ''The Children’s Mass'' *1976: '' Eden'' *1977

A Life in the Theatre ''A Life in the Theatre'' is a 1977 play by David Mamet. It focuses on the relationship between two actors, the play's only characters. One, Robert, is a stage veteran while John is a young, promising actor. As the play goes on they are involve ...

*1981: '' Cloud 9''; ''

A Soldier's Play ''A Soldier's Play'' is a play by American playwright Charles Fuller. Set on a US Army installation in the segregation-era South, the play is a loose adaptation of Herman Melville's novella ''Billy Budd'', and follows the murder investigation of ...

'' *1984: ''

'night, Mother ''night, Mother'' is a play by American playwright Marsha Norman. The play won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. The play is about a daughter, Jessie, and her mother, Thelma. It begins with Je ...

'' *1987: ''

Steel Magnolias ''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Academy Award winner Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. The picture is a film adaptation ...

'' *1990: ''

Falsettoland ''Falsettoland'' is a musical with a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn. Following ''In Trousers'' and ''March of the Falsettos'', it is the third in a trio of one-act musicals centering on Marvin, his wife Trina, his psyc ...

'' *1992: ''

Lips Together, Teeth Apart ''Lips Together, Teeth Apart'' is a play by American playwright Terrence McNally. The play, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1991, concerns two straight couples who spend a weekend in a gay community. Plot A gay community in Fire Island provides an ...

''; ''

The Destiny of Me ''The Destiny of Me'' is a play by Larry Kramer. The play follows Ned Weeks, a character from Kramer's play ''The Normal Heart''. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 1992, and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Overview It focuses on ...

'' *1995

Mrs. Klein Mrs. (American English) or Mrs (British English; standard English pronunciation: ) is a commonly used English honorific for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title (or rank), such as ''Doctor'', ''Profe ...

*1996: '' The Boys in the Band'' *1997: '' As Bees In Honey Drown'' *2004: ''

Fat Pig ''Fat Pig'' is a play by Neil LaBute. The play premiered Off-Broadway in 2004 and won the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play. The play had its London premiere in 2008 and was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award fo ...

'' *2006: '' Some Girl(s)'' *2007: ''

In a Dark Dark House ''In a Dark Dark House'' is a 2007 play by Neil LaBute. The play tells a tale of sexual and emotional abuse and two brothers who attempt to overcome it. Productions ''In a Dark Dark House'' had its world premiere Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lorte ...

'' *2007: '' Seussical'' *2008: '' reasons to be pretty'' *2009: '' Coraline'' *2012: ''

Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...

'' *2016: ''

Ride the Cyclone ''Ride the Cyclone'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. It is the second installment in Richmond's "Uranium Teen Scream Trilogy," a collection of three theatrical works, one not yet written, that take ...

'' *2017: ''

The Lightning Thief ''The Lightning Thief'' is a 2005 American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan in the ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' series. It won the Adult Library Services Association Bes ...

In popular culture

*In 1970, the theatre was used in "Manhattan Manhunt", a first-season episode of '' McCloud''. It used both interior and an exterior shots with the original marquee "". *In 1996–97, for the TV comedy ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' , the theatre was used for the filming of 3 episodes of season 3: episode 19 ("The One with the Tiny T-Shirt"), episode 20 ("The One with the Dollhouse"), and episode 22 ("The One with the Screamer"), which guest-starred Ben Stiller as Rachel's crazy boyfriend Tommy.

References

External links

* *
Productions
past and future * * * {{Authority control Off-Broadway theaters 1953 establishments in New York City Christopher Street