The Cell Theatre

Formation	January 1, 2006 (2006-01-01)
Type	Theatre group
Purpose	Artist's Salon
Location	338 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
Artistic director(s)	Kira Simring Nancy Manocherian (Founder)
Website	thecelltheatre.org

The Cell Theatre (also known as Nancy Manocherian's the cell theatre) is a not-for-profit "dedicated to the incubation and presentation of new work across all artistic disciplines." ^[1] Noteworthy productions include Larry Kirwan's Hard Times: An American Musical (now the Tony Award winning Paradise Square ), ^[2] as well as Honor Molloy's Crackskull Row , Seamus Scanlon's The McGowan Trilogy, and Marianne Driscoll's McGoldrick’s Thread, all winners of the 1st Irish Award for Best Production. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

History

Constructed in 1901 as a tenement house, the building at 338 W 23rd St was converted into art and performance venue in 2006 by Founding Artistic Director Nancy Manocherian. Today, it serves as the home of The Cell Theatre Company Ltd. and provides space and resources through various artist residencies. ^[6]

The theatre, intended as a "21st-century salon", ^[7] serves central Chelsea, offering a developmental space for artists of all disciplines. ^[7]

Productions developed in the theatre have been staged on Broadway, and at Art Basel Miami, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Carnegie Museum of Art, Cherry Lane Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Irish Repertory Theatre, MCC Theater, New World Stages, Portland Stage Company, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, and Southwark Playhouse. ^[8]

Notable Productions

• Limonade Tous les Jours by Charles L. Mee (2010) *Starring Austin Pendleton ^[9]
• Hard Times: An American Musical by Larry Kirwan (2012) ^[10]
• McGoldrick’s Thread by Marianne Driscoll (2013) ^[11]
• The McGowan Trilogy by Seamus Scanlon (2014) ^[12]
• Horse Girls by Jenny Rachel Weiner (2014) ^[13]
• The Hundred We Are by Jonas Hassen Khemiri (2016) ^[14]
• Crackskull Row by Honor Molloy (2016) ^[15]
• Bastard Jones by Marc Acito (2017) ^[16]
• The Pink Unicorn by Elise Forier Edie (2019) *Starring Alice Ripley) ^[17]
• Fruma-Sarah (Waiting in the Wings) by E. Dale Smith (2021) *Starring Jackie Hoffman ^[18]
• Nightclub Cantata by Elizabeth Swados (2022) ^[19]
• I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley (2023) ^[20]
• cryptochrome by Evan Silver aka Tiresias (2023) ^[21]

References

1. "The Cell Theatre Staff". The Cell Theatre. Retrieved March 3, 2025.
2. Russo, Gillian (March 11, 2022). "Everything You Need to Know About Paradise Square on Broadway". New York Theatre Guide.
3. Maguire, Tom Deignan (October 6, 2016). "Weekly Comment: 'Origin 1st Irish' Is a Triumph". Irish America.
4. Purcell, Carey (October 6, 2014). "The McGowan Trilogy and Port Authority Win at Origin's 1st Irish Festival". Playbill.
5. Purcell, Carey (September 30, 2013). "McGoldrick's Thread, The International, and More Honored at Origin's 1st Irish 2013 Awards". Playbill.
6. "The Cell Theatre". The Vendry.
7. Rabinowitz, Chloe (February 27, 2024). "The Cell Theatre Unveils 2024-2025 Season Featuring Over 20 Resident Artists". BroadwayWorld.com.
8. Cristi, A.A. (September 23, 2024). "WHERE WE MEET to Play Limited Run at The Cell". BroadwayWorld.com.
9. Gates, Aita (April 14, 2010). "A Street Performer With a Bitter Tale to Tell". The New York Times .
10. Gold, Daniel M. (September 20, 2012). "A Struggling Saloon Keeper, With Stephen Foster for Company". The New York Times .
11. Jaworowski, Ken (September 19, 2013). "An Irish-American Tale Woven in Song". The New York Times .
12. "The McGowan Trilogy and Port Authority Win Big at 2014 Origins 1st Irish Festival". BroadwayWorld.com. September 29, 2014.
13. La Rocco, Claudia (December 18, 2014). "In 'Horse Girls,' a Black Comedy About Love and Lies". The New York Times .
14. Brantley, Ben (March 25, 2016). "Review: 'The Hundred We Are' Explores Aging and Delusion". The New York Times .
15. Webster, Andy (September 17, 2016). "Review: Crackskull Row, an Irish Gothic with Masher, Basher and Rasher". The New York Times .
16. Vincentelli, Elisabeth (June 26, 2017). "Review: In 'Bastard Jones,' a Raucous Romantic Adventure". The New York Times .
17. Vincentelli, Elisabeth (May 19, 2019). "Review: In 'The Pink Unicorn,' Alice Ripley Brings a Fierce, Funny Heart". The New York Times .
18. Soloski, Alexis (July 8, 2021). "Review: Jackie Hoffman Shines as Fruma-Sarah in 'Fiddler on the Roof' Revival". The New York Times .
19. Wiltbank, Michael (July 29, 2022). "Get a First Look at Off-Broadway's 45th Anniversary Revival of Elizabeth Swados' Nightclub Cantata". Playbill.
20. Teeman, Tim (July 18, 2023). "I'm Gonna Marry You: Tobey Maguire Takes a Superstar Cleverly Hostage". The Daily Beast .
21. McEntee, Billy (December 2023). "In cryptochrome, a New Way of Seeing". The Brooklyn Rail.