Lucille Lortel Theatre

Located in the West Village in Manhattan, the Lucille Lortel Theatre was originally built in 1926 as a 590-seat movie theater under the name of the New Hudson, which would later become the Hudson Playhouse. The venue was converted into an off-Broadway theatre in the early 1950s, opening in June 1953 with a production of Simon Gantillon’s ‘Maya’ as the Theatre de Lys. In 1955, the building was acquired by financier Louis Schweitzer as an anniversary present for his wife, actress-producer Lucille Lortel. To celebrate her 81st Birthday, the theatre was re-christened the Lucille Lortel Theatre in her honor in 1981. Since Lortel’s death, the theatre has been under the ownership of the Lucille Lortel Foundation. The venue is currently home to MCC Theater, which was established in 1986 as ‘Manhattan Class Company.’ Initially founded by a collective of young aspiring actors, writers and directors eager to showcase their own talents, MCC Theater developed over the years into one of off-Broadway’s leading theatre companies who produce annual programmes of full-scale productions.