Connelly Theater

Connelly Theater

Address	220 E 4th St Manhattan, New York City United States
Coordinates	40°43′25″N73°59′00″W / 40.723508°N 73.983391°W / 40.723508; -73.983391
Type	Off-Broadway
Capacity	99-165
Website
www.connellytheater.org

The Connelly Theater is an Off-Broadway theater at 220 East 4th Street in the East Village of Manhattan in New York City. It was originally built in the 1860s as the choir hall for an orphanage. ^[1] The theater consists of a 200-seat main auditorium and a smaller 50-seat black box rented from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, by the Cornelia Connelly Center, an education non-profit that also operates a middle school in the building. ^[2] In the 2010s and early 2020s, the theater became a celebrated off-Broadway venue, ^[3] with programming curated by Director & General Manager Josh Luxenberg. ^{[4] [5]} In 2024, the Archdiocese of New York began restricting the theater from staging shows that were not approved by the Catholic Church, leading to Luxenberg's resignation and the shuttering of the theater as a space for public performance. ^{[5] [6]}

References

1. Luxenberg, Josh. "About Us". Connelly Theater. Retrieved March 16, 2024.
2. "Mission". www.connellycenter.org. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
3. "Racecar Racecar Racecar Finds New Home Following Connelly Cancellation, While Artists Reflect On Historic Theater's Loss | The Brooklyn Rail". brooklynrail.org. December 11, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
4. Sims, Joey (December 12, 2024). ""The Connelly Was Built In The Cracks"". Transitions. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
5. Paulson, Michael (October 22, 2024). "This N.Y.C. Theater Was a Haven for Adventurous Art. Then the Archdiocese Intervened". The New York Times. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
6. Culwell-Block, Logan (October 22, 2024). "Off-Broadway's Connelly Theater Will Now Only Allow Catholic Church-Approved Productions". Playbill. Retrieved October 23, 2024.