Lincoln Center Theater was established in 1985, and has become America’s largest not-for-profit theater company. The Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater is a 299-seat venue which houses LCT’s off-Broadway productions. The theatre opened on Nov. 10, 1967, and is located in the lower level of the building. At first, the Repertory Theater of Lincoln Center operated the theatre as The Forum.

The current name was adopted in honor of prominent New York philanthropist Mitzi E. Newhouse in 1973. Joseph Papp’s New York Shakespeare Festival took control of the building until 1978. In the following years, the theatre was mostly rented out to external producers until LCT’s residency began in 1985.