Theatre 80

Last updated

Theatre 80
Theatre 80
Address80 St. Mark's Pl
New York City
United States
Coordinates 40°43′39.5″N73°59′8.8″W / 40.727639°N 73.985778°W / 40.727639; -73.985778

Theatre 80 was an Off-Broadway theater located at 80 St. Mark's Place in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was owned and operated by Lorcan Otway, who, along with his father, restored and renovated the building before opening it as a theater in the 1960s. [1] [2] [3] [4] The theater hosted several productions, including the 1967 premiere of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown . The revenue from this production helped the Otways keep the theater. [5] Seats from the venue were later installed in the main performance space at Lexington House in upstate New York, serving Lexington Conservatory Theatre and Ensemble Studio Theatre programs. [6]

By 1971, Theatre 80 transitioned to cinema. Film programming began with screenings of movie musicals. Howard Otway stated that television airings of these films, with their poor and truncated quality, detracted from the viewing experience. By presenting film musicals, he provided a way for the public to see the movies as they were intended. Otway also became involved in film restoration, collaborating with studios to discover lost movies and seeking to strike new prints from better elements in order to preserve and exhibit titles in a way that showcased their best quality. [7] [8]

Prior to its current status as a cabaret-style theater, the building, which also houses the Museum of the American Gangster, was a nightclub during Prohibition. [9]

The Otways filed for bankruptcy on December 30, 2021, to prevent the sale of the building amid controversy with their mortgage lender. [10] In May 2022, the Otways were told they would have to vacate the theater by August. [11]

Following final efforts to save the theatre, [12] it was reported closed and the Otways were evicted in April 2023. [13] The building was sold at auction for $8.8 million that May. [14]

References

  1. ↑ Kelly, Keith J. "Theatre 80 Hopes for a Miracle to Save It from Bankruptcy Auction" . Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  2. ↑ Clark, Roger (February 9, 2021). "Theater 80 Tries to Hang On During Pandemic". NY1. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  3. ↑ Anderson, Lincoln (December 29, 2021). "Will the curtain drop on Theatre 80 St. Mark's? Looming auction could be venue's last act". The Village Sun. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  4. ↑ Hughes, Bill (December 30, 2021). "A Theater Treasure of St. Marks Place Faces Closure". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ Besonen, Julie (November 13, 2015). "A Museum of Cash, Guns and Gangsters in the East Village". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  6. ↑ LeBrun, Fred (June 18, 1978). "'a theater of adversity' - conservatory a gem in rural setting". Times Union.
  7. ↑ Nevius, James (September 4, 2014). "The strange history of the East Village's most famous street" . Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  8. ↑ Allen, Tom (September 11, 1978). "Art House Confidential". The Village Voice. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Theatre 80 St Marks". My Blog. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  10. ↑ Yerak, Becky (December 30, 2021). "Historic Theater Building in New York City's East Village Enters Bankruptcy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Lincoln (May 18, 2022). "Theatre 80 St. Marks owner, told to vacate by August, fights on to keep building". The Village Sun. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ Scott, Marvin (March 31, 2023). "Legendary East Village theater facing final curtain if debt not paid" . Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  13. ↑ Grieve. "Theatre 80 is closed up for now" . Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Lincoln (May 10, 2023). "Foxface sandwiches owner wins Theatre 80 St. Mark's with $8.8 million bid; Otherwise, not many bites at auction" . Retrieved May 31, 2023.


Ohio Theatre (feb 2014) 2.jpg

This article about a theater building in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.