Village East's main entrance is through a three-story office wing on Second Avenue, which has a facade ofcast stone. Theauditorium is housed in the rear along 12th Street. The first story contains storefronts and a lobby, while the second and third stories contained offices, which were converted into apartments in the 1960s. The main lobby connects to another lobby along 12th Street with a promenade behind the auditorium. The auditorium consists of a ground-level orchestra and one overhanging balcony withboxes. The balcony remains in its original condition, but the orchestra and former stage area have been divided into six screens.
The Louis N. Jaffe Art Theatre was originally used by theYiddish Art Theatre and largely served as a Yiddish playhouse from 1926 to 1945. It opened on November 17, 1926, withThe Tenth Commandment. The Yiddish Art Theatre moved out of the theater after two seasons, and it became theYiddish Folks Theatre. The venue was leased byMolly Picon in 1930–1931 and by Misha and Lucy German in 1931–1932. The Yiddish Arts Theatre then performed at the theater until 1934, after which the Yiddish Folks continued for two more years. From 1936 to 1944, the building was a movie theater called theCentury Theatre, hosting Yiddish performances during two seasons.
After a decline in Yiddish theater, the Jaffe Art Theatre was renamed theStuyvesant Theatre in 1946 and continued as a movie theater for seven years. The then-newPhoenix Theatre used the playhouse from 1953 to 1961. The Jaffe Art Theatre then became theCasino East Theatre, which hosted theburlesque productionThis Was Burlesque for three years before becoming a burlesque house called theGayety Theatre in 1965. The theater was renamed yet again in 1969, this time operating as the off-BroadwayEden Theatre until 1976, showing the revueOh! Calcutta! The venue was then converted into a movie theater, the12th Street Cinema, before returning to live shows in 1977 under the nameEntermedia Theatre (renamed theSecond Avenue Theatre in 1985). After closing in 1988, the Jaffe Art Theatre was renovated into Village East Cinema, reopening in 1991. Angelika rebranded the theater in 2021.
Village East, originally the Yiddish Art Theatre, is at the southwestern corner of East 12th Street andSecond Avenue in theEast Village ofManhattan inNew York City, within the formerYiddish Theatre District.[6][7] The theater occupies a rectangularland lot of 12,077 square feet (1,122.0 m2),[8] with afrontage of 103 feet (31 m) on Second Avenue and 117.25 feet (36 m) on 12th Street.[9][10] It is composed of two sections: a three-story office wing with a cast-stone facade, facing east on Second Avenue, as well as an auditorium wing with a brown-brick facade, extending westward along 12th Street.[11] The site is a block north ofSt. Mark's Church.[8][12]
The theater was built by Louis Jaffe, a developer and prominent Jewish community leader, forMaurice Schwartz'sYiddish Art Theatre, which presented works inYiddish. The theater was designed in theMoorish Revival style by Harrison Wiseman, whileWilliam Pogany consulted on the interior design.[13][14][15] Despite the prevalence of Yiddish theaters in the area in the early 20th century, the Jaffe Art Theatre was the only one in the Yiddish Theatre District that was specifically built for a Yiddish theatrical group.[16] By the 21st century, Village East was the only remaining Yiddish theater building on Second Avenue, the one-time center of the Yiddish Theatre District.[17]
Detail of main entrance arch. In the intrados of the arch are half-menorahs. Above those, seven Moorish-style openings with medallions are arranged in a semicircle.
Detail of smaller arches on Second Avenue (left) and 12th Street (right)
Exterior of the Jaffe Art Theater in 1985
On the building's Second Avenue elevation, the first two stories consist of a double-heightarcade with seven arches, each corresponding to onebay. The main entrance is in the second-northernmost bay and is taller and wider than the others. This bay contains a large archway surrounded by panels with geometric and foliate decorations.[11] There are four metal-and-glass doors at the ground floor, with a projecting triangularmarquee sign above.[18] The marquee was originally rectangular and had decorations at its corners.[19] To the left (south) of the main entrance is a door to the upper office stories, topped by alintel with the inscribed words "Jaffe Art Theatre Bldg". To the right (north) is a sign board and acornerstone, containing an inscription of theGregorian date May 23, 1926, in English and the correspondingHebrew calendar date inHebrew.[18] Theintrados, near the top of the arch, contains capitals shaped like half-menorahs.[15][18] Above those, seven Moorish-style openings with medallions are arranged in a semicircle.[7] The top of the entrance bay contains acornice supported by roundcorbels.[18]
The other six arches are identical round-arched openings and are separated by paneledpilasters. The top of each pilaster contains acapital with foliate and geometric motifs and birds. The smaller arches formerly contained six storefronts, one in each bay.[11] After the building was converted into a cinema in 1990, the northernmost bay was converted to an interior staircase, while the two bays immediately south of the main entrance became ticket counters. The remaining storefronts in the three southernmost bays contain aluminum storefronts at the first floor, as well as aluminumspandrel panels between the first and second floors.[18] At the third floor, there are two small arched windows in each bay. These are separated by pilasters withguilloche motifs, which are topped by capitals with foliate decorations.[11] The roof above the northernmost bay contains a smalldormer unit, while the roof above the southern five bays is a terrace.[18]
The easternmost portion of the 12th Street elevation contains two bays of double-height arches and paired windows, similar to those in the Second Avenue elevation. The steel-framed auditorium structure is clad in brick.[11] The outer portions of the auditorium facade are treated as pavilions. They are slightly taller than the rest of the auditorium and protrude slightly from the central section of the facade. Each outer pavilion contains a metal gate at ground level, above which is an arched opening with a fire stair behind it.[20] The center of the facade contains a cast-stone doorway surrounding five sets of exit doors.[11] There is a carved corbel on either side of the doorway.[18] Above the doors is a blind brick arch, surrounding a panel with pink terracottaquatrefoils.[11] The top of the auditorium facade is made of a band of cast stone.[20] An alley runs to the west of the theater.[21]
The interior is decorated in a gold, blue, rose, cream, and silver color scheme. Many of the interior decorations are inspired by theAlhambra in Spain.[22] The decorations also contain elements ofMoorish,Islamic, and Judaic architecture.[22][23] Most decorations resemble their original condition, even though the layout of the theater has been substantially changed.[15][22] The interior of Village East was used as a filming location for the filmsThe Night They Raided Minsky's in 1968 andThe Fan in 1981,[18] as well as a promotional video forReese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1984.[24]
The theater has two lobbies. The main one on Second Avenue was a square space[7] (subsequently expanded to a rectangular space), while a secondary lobby on 12th Street provides access to the balcony level.[22] When the theater was converted into a movie theater in the early 1990s, all of the floor surfaces were covered or replaced with a carpet containing red, gold, blue, and gray patterns.[25]
Originally, the main lobby had a floor made of terracotta, with a pattern of white rhombus motifs. The box office was on the north wall, while the south wall contained mirrored panels.[7] Only the original ceiling of the main lobby remains intact. The center of the ceiling contains a medallion; the edges of the ceiling contain afrieze with corbels, as well as decorative rectangular and square panels. During the early-1990s renovation, the lobby was expanded southward, and a concession stand and a wall of poster boards were installed.[22] The lobby also contains an exhibit about the history of Yiddish theatre.[26][25]
On the northern side of the theater building, to the right of the main lobby, is the 12th Street lobby.[27] The walls there are buff-colored and are designed to resemble travertine. The exit doors on the north wall containtrefoil arches, corbels, and Moorishexit signs. The ceiling has three circular chandeliers and is ornately designed with floral symbols and circles. The 12th Street lobby connects to a pair of segmentally arched alcoves, inside which are stairs descending to the basement.[22]
On the north wall of the 12th Street lobby, two curved staircases with wrought-iron railings lead up to a narrow promenade behind the balcony-level seating.[22][28] The underside of the balcony promenade (immediately above the 12th Street lobby) contains three medallions, each of which contains six-pointedarabesques, as well as recessed lighting fixtures and a decorative border. Above the promenade are four rectangular panels and one square panel, each with cartouches at its center, in addition to recessed lighting. Small staircases at the western and eastern ends of the promenade lead up to the top of the balcony-level seating.[22]
The auditorium has an orchestra level, a balcony,boxes, and aproscenium arch that originally had a stage behind it.[29][30] The auditorium is oriented toward the south, with the rear wall and 12th Street lobby being to the north.[27] The original auditorium contained 1,143,[7] 1,236,[31][32] 1,252,[30] or 1,265 seats.[33] The orchestra level was initiallyraked, sloping down toward anorchestra pit in front of the stage.[28] The stage originally measured 30 by 36 feet (9.1 by 11.0 m) across.[28]
In 1990, the theater wasmultiplexed, being split into a seven-screen movie theater. Most of the original decorations remain intact, although the seating at orchestra level was raised to the height of the original stage.[30] Screens 1 through 5 are within the original auditorium, while screens 6 and 7 are within the stage area.[34] In all seven screens, the seats are 21 to 22 inches (530 to 560 mm) wide, larger than similar theaters.[25] The balcony level is the largest and most ornate screen; it originally had 500 seats. Below the balcony are four additional screens: two 200-seat venues within the original orchestra level, a 175-seat venue in a former basement restaurant, and a 75-seat venue in a sidewalk vault.[25][35] The stage area was divided into two screens, one above the other.[34][35] The lower screen is at the level of the original stage, while the upper screen is about 60 feet (18 m) above the ground, within the formerfly loft.[35]
The side walls of the auditorium are made of textured plaster and were initially painted in a buff color, though it was subsequently repainted blue-gray. The front of the balcony is decorated with rosettes and round-arched panels, atop which are a parapet and railing. After the original auditorium was multiplexed, a lower balcony was created in front of the original balcony, connected to it by double staircases. The lower balcony has an exit to the promenade, directly below the original balcony, as well as a ramp leading to an exit on the north wall.[22] There are 40 seats within the lower balcony.[36] On either side of the proscenium arch is a wall section with one box at the balcony level.[37] The boxes are each recessed within a pointed Moorish arch, which is framed byvermiculated quoins and topped byvoussoirs. The inner reveals of the boxes containcolonettes, above which arelambrequin arches. The fronts of the boxes contain rosettes and round-arched panels, which wrap around to the front of the balcony.[22] Next to the boxes is a flat proscenium arch, which is surrounded by floral and geometric decorations.[37] The proscenium opening has been bricked up,[35] and a movie screen for the balcony-level seats has been installed within the proscenium.[22]
The middle of the ceiling contains a shallow circular dome measuring 40 feet (12 m) across.[35][38] At the center of the dome is a medallion with theStar of David, which is enclosed within a larger six-pointed star withtrefoils at its "points". A metal chandelier with two tiers hangs from the center of the dome.[13][39] The outer border of the dome is decorated with wrought-iron grilles and motifs of the Star of David.[28] There are also fascia panels around the dome, some of which have been modified to accommodate projection equipment and ventilation openings.[13][22] Outside of the dome, the ceiling contains ornate gilded plaster moldings.[13][39] The decoration is intended to resemble a honeycomb and contains rosettes, eight-pointed stars, andstrapwork. There are ducts near where the ceiling intersects with the walls.[22] The ceiling is actually made of 3-by-3-foot (0.91 by 0.91 m) panels suspended from the roof via iron bars.[13]
Above the stage were twelve dressing rooms, as well as access to the space above the dome. Under the stage were offices, storage rooms, and access to the orchestra pit. In addition, the theater's restrooms, lounge, and administrative offices were in the basement behind the auditorium (near 12th Street).[28] The lounge contained busts of prominent playwrights and performers in Yiddish theatre, such asAbraham Goldfaden,David Kessler,Jacob Pavlovich Adler,Jacob Gordin, andSholem Aleichem.[40] The basement also included a restaurant and cabaret/nightclub.[31][41][42]
The second and third stories along Second Avenue contained rehearsal rooms. These were accessed from the third bay from north, just left of the main entrance.[28] These floors also contained offices.[41][42] The Russian Art Restaurant took up one of the storefronts for several years. Among the building's office tenants were theJewish National Workers Alliance,Yiddisher Kultur Farband, and Jewish Folk Schools. The offices were converted into apartments in the 1960s. The residents included actressJackie Curtis, photographerPeter Hujar, and painterDavid Wojnarowicz.[18]
During the 1880s, New York City'sJewish immigrant population started moving to the East Village and theLower East Side in large numbers;[43][44] many immigrants were Yiddish-speakingAshkenazi Jews.[16] The Yiddish Theatre District was developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to provide entertainment for the growing Jewish population.[45] While most early Yiddish theaters were south ofHouston Street,[43] many producers moved north along Second Avenue in the early 20th century.[46][47] One of them was Maurice Schwartz, who came from Ukraine and founded the Yiddish Art Theatre in 1918.[48][49][50] The theatre company was originally housed in several theater buildings.[48][50][51] Developer and lawyer Louis N. Jaffe had watched one of the Yiddish Art Theatre's shows atMadison Square Garden and was so impressed that he decided to build a dedicated building for the company.[52][40]
In May 1925, Jaffe acquired a site on 12th Street and Second Avenue, formerly part of theStuyvesant Farm. He hiredHarrison G. Wiseman to design a building with a 1,200-seat theater for Schwartz's company.[9][10] The theater would be designed in what media described as an "old Jerusalem" style. In addition to being the Yiddish Art Theatre's home, the building would contain offices for the theatre company's staff and the Jaffe Art Film Corporation; a gymnasium; and a theatrical library.[53][54] The theatre company would lease the theater at a nominal price.[55] The demolition of Madison Square Garden had forced the Yiddish Art Players to relocate to theNora Bayes Theatre in the midtownTheater District.[40][56] Initially, the project was to have been completed in December 1925.[57]
Cornerstone showing both English and Hebrew dates
Wiseman filed plans with theNew York City Department of Buildings (DOB) at the end of May 1925, shortly after Jaffe acquired the site.[52][58] The building was to cost $235,000. The DOB initially objected to the project because of its location within a residential neighborhood, the lack of exits to the west, and the absence of asetback along Second Avenue.[59] Site-clearing began the next month,[52] and five old houses were torn down to make way for the theater.[12] Olga Loev, widow of Sholem Aleichem,[55][60] laid the theater'scornerstone at a ceremony on May 23, 1926.[56][60] PlaywrightHerman Bernstein said that the event was "of magnitude for Jews in America", given the Yiddish Art Theatre's success in spite of early difficulties.[55][60] Portraits of Abraham Goldfaden (the "father of the Yiddish theatre movement") andPeter Stuyvesant (the owner of the Stuyvesant Farm) were placed inside the cornerstone.[60] Jaffe said he wanted the theater to be "a permanent monument to prove that the Jewish immigrant to [the United States] is a useful citizen and makes a definite contribution to the country", responding to anti-Semitic comments that Stuyvesant had made three centuries prior.[61]
By mid-1926, the Jaffe Art Theater was expected to open that September,[62] but it remained closed past that date. Schwartz then planned to open the theater on November 11 withThe Tenth Commandment, his adaptation of Goldfaden's playThou Shalt Not Covet.[33][40][63] Before the theater opened, theNew York Herald Tribune called it "a lasting monument to Yiddish art",[63] whileThe New York Times said the theater building "will be the most attractive amusement structure in that locality".[62] The Louis N. Jaffe Art Theater opened on November 17, 1926, withThe Tenth Commandment. In the opening-night program, Schwartz described the theater's opening as the "culmination of a lifelong dream".[64][65] The opening-night visitors included theatrical personalities such asDaniel Frohman,Owen Davis, andRobert Milton, as well as non-theatrical notables such asOtto Kahn andFannie Hurst.[65][66] The theater, which cost $1 million to construct, was not officially completed until January 8, 1927.[55]
The Jaffe Art Theatre was one of the last Yiddish theaters to open on Second Avenue, having been completed just as Yiddish theater was starting to decline.[32] From 1926 to 1945, the Jaffe Art Theatre largely hosted Yiddish productions, though it changed names several times based on whichever company appeared there. It hosted not onlystraight plays but alsorevues,musicals, andoperettas. Notable performers during this era includedJoseph Buloff,Celia Adler,Luba Kadison,Ludwig Satz,Molly Picon,Menasha Skulnik,Joseph M. Rumshinsky,Ola Lilith, andJacob Ben-Ami.[67] Yiddish theatre historian Nahma Sandrow referred to the theater as "a temple" for Yiddish theatre, saying: "It was more than just a physical building; it really existed in people's cultural consciousnesses".[68]
For the rest of the 1926–1927 season, the Jaffe Art Theatre was occupied by limited runs of six productions:Mendele Spivak in 1926[69][70] andHer Crime,Reverend Doctor Silver,Yoske Musicanti,Wolves, andMenschen Shtoib in early 1927.[69] After a summer hiatus,[71] the theater then reopened the 1927–1928 season with the playGreenberg's Daughters in September 1927.[72] The season also featured the playThe Gardener's Dog, the first American production by Boris Glagolin's Moscow Revolution Theater.[69][73] Other plays of that season includedThe Gold Diggers andOn Foreign Soil in late 1927, as well asAlexander Pushkin andAmerican Chasidim in early 1928.[69] Schwartz appeared in many of these plays.[69] Despite high expectations, the theater performed worse than expected in its first two seasons.[74][75] Among the reasons for this were the rise of talking pictures, negotiations with performers' unions, and a decline in Jewish immigration.[74]
In April 1928, Jaffe leased the theater to the Amboard Theatre Corporation, headed by Morris Lifschitz.[75] The next month, the Louis N. Jaffe Art Theatre Corporation sold the theater to a client of Jacob I. Berman.[76][77] The Yiddish Art Theatre moved out after two seasons[78][79] because Schwartz had severed his agreement with Jaffe.[78] TheNew York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) stated that the Jaffe Art Theatre remained vacant for the 1928–1929 season,[80] but contemporary news reports indicate that the Yiddish Folk Theatre occupied the building during that season, starting with a dance recital in September 1928.[78][81] The Yiddish Folks Theatre gave at least two other performances at the theater, both directed by Ludwig Satz.[69]His Wife's Lover opened in October 1929,[82][83] followed byIf the Rabbi Wants that December.[84][85]
The comedienneMolly Picon leased the Jaffe Art Theatre in June 1930,[86][87] and it was renamed Molly Picon's Folks Theatre.[80] Isaac Lipshitz acquired the theater in a foreclosure proceeding that August,[74][88] and the playThe Girl of Yesterday opened the next month, starring Picon.[89][90] This was followed in January 1931 by the playThe Love Thief, also starring Picon.[91][92] Prosper Realty Corporation was recorded as taking ownership of the theater that February.[80] Misha and Lucy German (also spelled Gehrman[93]) leased the theater in May 1931, and the theater was rebranded yet again as the Germans' Folks Theatre.[80][94] Under the German family's ownership, the theater hosted at least four performances:One Woman in 1931[95][96] andIn a Tenement House,Pioneers, andWedding Chains in 1932.[95]
The Yiddish Art Theatre returned to the theater after Schwartz leased it for the 1932–1933 season.[97][98] The company opened the season withYoshe Kalb, which ran for 235 performances at the theater[99] and was then performed onBroadway in English,[80][100] for a total of 300 performances.[101] Other Yiddish plays performed in 1932–1933 includedChayim Lederer,Legend of Yiddish King Lear,Bread, andRevolt. Schwartz also leased the theater for the 1933–1934 season, when he hostedWise Men of Chelm,Josephus, andModern Children.[97] The theatrical company departed in April 1934, and the venue again became the Yiddish Folks Theatre, since Schwartz owned the rights to the "Yiddish Art Theatre" name.[80][93] Under the direction ofJoseph Buloff, the New York Art Troupe leased the theater for the 1934–1935 season,[102][103] hosting eight plays there.[97]
Menasha Skulnik andJoseph M. Rumshinsky signed a lease for the theater in April 1935,[104] then announced plans to lease the theater as a movie house "until the fall".[105] One newspaper proclaimed that the Yiddish Folks Theatre would become the world's first movie theater that hosted films exclusively in Yiddish, though it is unknown whether this ever happened.[80] The first live show that Skulnik and Rumshinsky hosted at the theater wasFishel der Gerutener (English: "The Perfect Fishel"), which opened in September 1935.[106][107] The men hosted three other shows:Schlemiehl in September 1936,[108][109]Straw Hero in November 1936,[110][111] andThe Galician Rabbi in 1937.[112][113]
By the late 1930s, the popularity of Yiddish theatre was starting to wane. Various reasons were cited for the decline, including a slowdown in the number of Jewish immigrants after World War I and the fact that younger Jews were blending in with American culture.[114][115] In addition, the city's Jewish population dispersed from the Lower East Side and East Village.[115] By March 1937, just ten years after the Yiddish Folks Theatre had opened, independent film operators Weinstock and Hertzig planned to lease the theater for movies.[116] Saulray Theatres Corporation leased the theater the next month,[80] and it became a movie theater called the Century.[34][80] The conversion occurred as similar Yiddish venues in the East Village and Lower East Side had become movie houses.[115] Shortly after the Century reopened, its sound equipment was replaced.[117] The theater went into foreclosure by September 1937 and was taken over by the Greater New York Savings Bank.[80]
In June 1940, the Yiddish Folks Theatre leased the Century for one season.[118][119] The Yiddish Folks Players then presentedSunrise that October,[107][120] followed bySixty Years of Yiddish Theatre, a musical in honor of Rumshinsky, in January 1941.[121][122] The troupe's manager Jacob Wexler died in the middle of the 1940–1941 season, andOla Lilith took over the troupe's management.[118] The third and final Yiddish show of the season wasA Favorn Vinkel ("The Forsaken Nook") in February 1941,[107] with a special performance in honor of Ludwig Satz.[123][124] The Century's operators announced that March that they would return the theater to a film policy, showing three Americanfeature films every day.[125][126] After a renovation, the Century screened the feature filmGone with the Wind that April.[118][127] In addition, O'Gara & Co. Inc. was hired to lease out the office space on Second Avenue.[128]
In 1942, the Greater New York Savings Bank leased the theater to the Century Theatre Company for ten years.[129][130] The bank then leased the Jaffe Art Theatre in January 1944 to Benjamin Benito, who planned to stage Italian opera and vaudeville there.[131] The Raynes Realty Company acquired the theater from the bank that September and discontinued Benito's lease.[41][42]Jacob Ben-Ami's New Jewish Folk Theater leased the theater during the 1944–1945 season, operating it as the Century Theatre.[132][133] Ben-Ami presented two shows,The Miracle of the Warsaw Ghetto byH. Leivick andWe Will Live byDavid Bergelson, in what was the theater's last season as a Yiddish theatrical venue.[118] By then, many Yiddish speakers had been murdered inthe Holocaust, further contributing to the decline in Yiddish theatre.[114][134] The Jaffe Art Theatre then reopened as a 1,082-seat movie theater, the Stuyvesant Theatre, around March 1946. The theater continued to screen films until 1953.[34][118]
In October 1953,Norris Houghton and T. Edward Hambleton formed thePhoenix Theatre company and leased the Jaffe Art Theatre, initially for a series of five plays.[135][136] The Phoenix Theatre was a pioneering project in the development ofoff-Broadway, with a different approach tolegitimate theatre than found onBroadway. Houghton and Hambleton had wanted a theater away from Broadway'sTheater District. The Jaffe Art Theatre had appealed to them because it was newer than most Broadway venues and also because it was close toStuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village, which had 30,000 residents. The group planned to charge a relatively cheap $1.20 to $3.00 per ticket; in return, performers would not be paid more than $100 per week, and each show would have a four-week limited run.[118][137] A writer forVariety described Phoenix's formation as "one of the most important off-Broadway developments of recent years".[138]
Phoenix's first production wasSidney Howard's playMadam, Will You Walk?, which opened in December 1953 withHume Cronyn andJessica Tandy.[139] Other notable shows of the 1953–1954 season includedCoriolanus,The Golden Apple, andThe Seagull.[107] The troupe's first season was successful;The Golden Apple transferred to Broadway, whileThe Seagull was sold out through its limited run.[140] This prompted Houghton to renew his lease on the theater.[141] The 1954–1955 season included the playsSing Me No Lullaby,The Doctor's Dilemma, andThe Master Builder,[142] as well as the revuePhoenix'55.[143][144] The theater also started hostingSideshows, a set of "programs of diverse entertainment", on Monday nights during that season.[145] Additionally, air-conditioning was installed in the theater around 1955 so shows could be presented there during the summer.[143] The presence of the Phoenix Theatre and other off-Broadway companies on Second Avenue contributed to a revival of the former theatrical hub there.[146]
Interior of the Jaffe Art Theater from the Balcony in 1985 prior to renovations.
For the 1958–1959 season, Phoenix decided to book plays byNobel Prize-winning writers such asT. S. Eliot.[151][152] The plays during that season includedThe Family Reunion,Britannicus,The Power and the Glory,The Beaux' Stratagem, andOnce Upon a Mattress.[153] After launching a drive to enroll new subscribers in April 1959,[154] the theatrical company enrolled 9,000 subscribers and obtained $150,000 in subsidies by that June.[155] This enabled Phoenix to pre-select all of the plays in a season, rather than booking plays as the season progressed, for the first time in the troupe's history.[156] The theater then hosted plays such asLysistrata,Peer Gynt, andpart 1 andpart 2 of Shakespeare'sHenry IV during 1959–1960.[153][157] Phoenix's last full season at the theater, in 1960–1961, consisted ofH.M.S. Pinafore,She Stoops to Conquer,The Plough and the Stars,The Octoroon, andHamlet.[153] The company relocated to the much smaller 74th Street Theater in late 1961 afterThe Pirates of Penzance, the first play of the 1961–1962 season, was staged at the Second Avenue theater.[158][159] This move was prompted by the fact that, after its first season, Phoenix had consistently operated at a loss and could not fill the Jaffe Art Theatre.[160]
In November 1961, Michael Iannucci and Milton Warner leased the Jaffe Art Theatre for one year, with an option to renew for another year.[161] The next month, the theater was renamed the Casino East Theater[143] and reopened with a Yiddish-language show,Gezunt un Meshuga ("Hale and Crazy").[162][163][164] By then, it had 1,150 seats.[162] In March 1962, Casino East hosted the satiricalburlesque productionThis Was Burlesque starringAnn Corio.[165][166] During this time, Iannucci managed thefront of house, or the publicly accessible parts of the theater. Corio oversaw the stage and backstage operations, with a speaker in her dressing room that allowed her to hear everything on stage.[167] The revue was successful, ultimately lasting 1,509 performances at the Casino.[153][168]This Was Burlesque ultimately relocated to theHudson Theatre on Broadway in March 1965.[169][170] Corio said that tourists could not find Casino East and that ticket sellers could more easily sell tickets to the show if it were on Broadway.[171]
Afterward, Casino East became the Gayety Theater,[143][172] the only burlesque theater in Manhattan.[143][173] The venue was operated byLeroy Griffith, who had opened the burlesque venue there following the success of Corio's show.[172] The operator charged $4 admission, higher than at the Hudson Theatre.[174] Fittingly, directorWilliam Friedkin shot the burlesque scenes forThe Night They Raided Minsky's at the theater in 1967. The off-Broadway productionOh! Calcutta!, a revue in which all the cast members were nude, was announced for the theater in April 1969, upon which point the venue was renamed the Eden Theater.[175][176] The revue's producer George Platt explained the renaming by saying, "We're not doing a burlesque show, we're doing a legitimate show."[176]Oh! Calcutta! opened at the theater in June 1969.[177][178] While the Eden was as large as a standard Broadway theater,Oh! Calcutta! used an off-Broadway contract that limited the audience to 499 seats;[179] nonetheless, the show made a profit at the Eden.[180] The revue moved to Broadway'sBelasco Theatre in February 1971[181] after running for 704 performances.[182]
In March 1971 the Broadway musicalMan of La Mancha moved from theMartin Beck Theatre to the Eden.[179][183]La Mancha operated under a Broadway contract, which allowed all of the Eden's seats to be used;[179] the musical moved to Broadway'sMark Hellinger Theatre after three months.[184] That June, Jacob Jacobs leased the Eden with plans to host Yiddish shows there.[185] Next, the rock musicalGrease opened in February 1972[186][187] under a Broadway contract that allowed all seats to be used.[188] The musical moved to theBroadhurst Theatre that June[189] and later becameBroadway's longest-running musical.[188] By then, Jewish Nostalgic Productions was raising funds for a series of Yiddish plays at the Eden.[190]
The revueCrazy Now opened at the Eden in September 1972,[191][192] followed the next month by a revival ofYoshe Kalb.[193][194] In early 1973, the theater also hosted a dance special byLarry Richardson[195] and the Broadway musicalSmith,[196][197] the latter of which relocated to theAlvin Theatre.[198] Jewish Nostalgic Productions staged several more shows, of which three had more than 100 performances.[182] For the 1973–1974 season, the Eden was occupied by Aleichem's playHard To Be a Jew.[199][200] This was followed in the 1974–1975 season by another Aleichem play,Dos groyse gevins ("The Big Winner"),[201][202] as well as a short run ofA Wedding in Shtetel.[203] Senyar Holding Company, a firm owned by Martin Raynes, took ownership of the theater in March 1975.[143] During the 1975–1976 season, the Eden hosted Sylvia Regan's musicalThe Fifth Season.[204][205] The theater had become the 12th Street Cinema by mid-1976,[206] but this use only lasted a short time.[143]
Interior of the Jaffe Art Theater in 1985 prior to renovations
By September 1977, the Jaffe Art Theatre was known as the Entermedia Theater.[207] The theater reopened the next month withThe Possessed, a dance special byPearl Lang. Its operator Entermedia presented not only films but also dance, experimental legitimate shows, and other events.[143][208] Among the Entermedia's early shows was the musicalThe Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, which opened in 1978[209] and subsequently transferred to Broadway,[210] as well as the musicalGod Bless You, Mr. Rosewater in 1979.[211][212] The theater also hosted events such as an independent film festival,[213] a jazz showcase,[214] and a samurai film festival.[215] The musicalJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which later transferred to Broadway, opened at the Entermedia in 1981[216] and was so successful that its audience was allowed to use all the seats.[217] Other popular shows at the theater were the 1982 playLennon[218] and the 1983 musicalTaking My Turn.[219] The Jaffe Art Theatre was added to theNational Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1985.[220] The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission also considered protecting the theater as a landmark in 1985 and 1986 but did not make a decision.[68]
Entermedia left the theater in 1985, and the venue was leased to M Square Productions, which renamed it the Second Avenue Theater.[143][68] It was one of M Square's three off-Broadway houses. M Square's managing director Alan J. Schuster said the company wanted "to have a legitimate theater and a film theater at the Second Avenue" without incurring the exorbitant costs of Broadway theatre contracts.[221] The movie theater would have been above the legitimate theater, but these plans never materialized.[68] The Second Avenue hostedZalmen Mlotek and Moishe Rosenfeld's bilingual revueThe Golden Land, which opened in November 1985[222][223] and ran for 277 regular performances.[224][b] For the 1986–1987 season, the theater staged the musicalHave I Got a Girl for You!, which opened in November 1986,[225][226] and the musicalStaggerlee, which opened in March 1987.[227][228] The theater also hosted a tribute to the late off-Broadway actorCharles Ludlam in mid-1987.[229] TheChaim Potok playThe Chosen opened in January 1988[230][231] but flopped with just six regular performances.[68][232][b]
The failure ofThe Chosen had been particularly devastating for M Square, which had spent three years creating the play and could no longer afford to continue operating the Second Avenue Theater. The venue was the only surviving Yiddish theater building on Second Avenue, as well as one of the few off-Broadway houses in the East Village.[68] In 1988, M Square leased the theater to City Cinemas, a branch ofReading International, for use as a movie theater called Village East.[35][68] City Cinemas converted the auditorium into a seven-screen multiplex.[233][234] Averitt Associates preserved the balcony but split the orchestra and backstage areas into six screens.[35][38] The renovation had to conform with historic-preservation guidelines because Village East was still being considered for city-landmark designation.[26][35] The architects used archival photos to restore the theater's design features.[38]
Main entrance to the theater
The project ultimately cost $8 million.[25][38] Village East Cinemas opened on February 22, 1991,[25][235] initially with only five screens in operation.[38] The LPC designated the exterior and interior of the theater as a landmark in 1993.[15][23] Since then, it has shown a mixture of Hollywood productions andindie films. The Village East Cinema also shows films that originally opened at theAngelika Film Center, anarthouse chain that is also an arm of Reading International.[34] The multiplex also hosted movies that were screened as part of the annualNew York International Children's Film Festival.[236]
EverGreene Architectural Arts restored the theater at the beginning of 2015.[13][237] The work involved replacing some of the historical design features that had deteriorated over the years.[237] The theater closed temporarily in March 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic in New York City. When the theater reopened on March 5, 2021,[238][239] it was rebranded as Village East by Angelika.[240] After Village East reopened, several movies were screened in70 mm.[241] A new bar and kitchen were announced for the theater in late 2021.[242] By 2022[update], the theater generally screened newly released films, though it sometimes showed revivals as well.[243] Among these was the premiere ofTommy Wiseau's second filmBig Shark in 2023.[244]
Productions are listed by the year of their first performance. This list only includes theatrical shows; it does not include films, burlesque shows, or other types of live performance.
^The theater has also been known as theLouis N. Jaffe Theater,Yiddish Art Theatre,Yiddish Folks Theatre,Molly Picon's Folks Theatre,Germans' Folks Theatre,Century Theatre,New Jewish Folk Theatre,Stuyvesant Theatre,Phoenix Theatre,Casino East Theatre,Gayety Theatre,Eden Theatre,12th Street Cinema,Entermedia Theater,Second Avenue Theater, andVillage East Cinema.[5]
^abLandmarks Preservation Commission 1993, p. 21, counts both previews and regular performances. For example,The Golden Land is counted as having 295 performances (including 18 previews), andThe Chosen is recorded as having 58 performances (including 52 previews).
^Miss Julie andThe Stronger were performed in repertory.[259][260]
^The Chairs andThe Lesson were performed in repertory.[279][280]
^ab"Yiddish Art Theater Gets Site for New Building: Purchases Landmark at Second Avenue and 12th Street for Proposed Structure".New York Herald Tribune. May 3, 1925. p. B2.ProQuest1112808349.
^ab"Yiddish Art Theater Finds New Home on 12th St".The Billboard. Vol. 36, no. 19. May 9, 1925. p. 11.ProQuest1031764080.
^ab"Theatre Building on Second Avenue: Tearing Down Houses for Yiddish Art Home on Stuyvesant Farm Site, Near St, Mark's Church".The New York Times. June 28, 1925. p. RE1.ISSN0362-4331.ProQuest103663798.
^"Bruce Goes to the Movies for Reese's".Back Stage. Vol. 25, no. 44. November 16, 1984. p. 76.ProQuest1438553105.
^abcdefSiegel, Fern (June 1, 1991). "Theatre Profile: City Cinemas' Village East: a Marriage of Past and Present".Boxoffice. Vol. 127, no. 6. pp. 16, 18.ProQuest1040614810.
^abBloom, Steve (March 30, 1990)."Manhattan Moviemania".Newsday. pp. 180,181. RetrievedApril 18, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
^abc"Manhattan Life Sells Factory In West 37th St: Parcel Taxed at $400,000 Bought by Investor Theatre Sold in Brooklyn".New York Herald Tribune. September 18, 1944. p. 22.ProQuest1318080433.
^"Yiddish Art Theatre for Second Avenue: Part of the Peter Stuyvesant Estate Sold to Louis N. Jaffe".The New York Times. August 23, 1925. p. RE5.ISSN0362-4331.ProQuest103612193.
^"Jewish Theater Planned On Old Stuyvesant Corner".New York Herald Tribune. August 23, 1925. p. B1.ProQuest1112936188.
^ab"The Yiddish Art Theater To Open Thursday Night".New York Herald Tribune. November 7, 1926. p. E4.ProQuest1112652012.
^"Yiddish Art Theater Opens, as Realization Of East Side Dream: Spectators From All Sections of City Sec Production of the Tenth Commandment With Elaborate Setting".New York Herald Tribune. November 19, 1926. p. 18.ProQuest1112646060.
^"Thin Plot Thread Tense With Woe In "Mendel Spivak": Sober Glory Of Fight Against Poverty And Sorrow Effectively Developed In Splendid Production At Yiddish Art Theatre".Women's Wear. Vol. 33, no. 149. December 24, 1926. pp. 12, 44.ProQuest1677121263.
^"'Greenberg's Daughters' Opens Yiddish Art Theater: Venerable Plot Proves Interesting Through Its Realism and Ability of Cast".New York Herald Tribune. September 10, 1927. p. 9.ProQuest1131514008.
^abc"Lipshitz Pays $433,375 For Yiddish Art Theater: Property Costing $950,000 in 1926 Sold at Foreclosure".New York Herald Tribune. August 9, 1930. p. 24.ProQuest1113715437.
^ab"Legitimate: Suing for $77,500 Rent Deposit for Yiddish Art".Variety. Vol. 91, no. 1. April 18, 1928. p. 49.ProQuest1475750456.
^"Zemach's Dance Recital Enjoyed by Packed House: First Offering of Season Held at Yiddish Folks Theater".New York Herald Tribune. September 26, 1928. p. 18.ProQuest1113496447.
^"His Wife's Lover' Opens Season at Salz Theater: Jewish Comedian Stars in 3-Act Musical Show".New York Herald Tribune. October 25, 1929. p. 23.ProQuest1111672192.
^"Ludwig Satz Appears In 'If the Rabbi Wants': Plays in Operetta Directed by Himself at Yiddish Folk Theater".New York Herald Tribune. December 24, 1929. p. 11.ProQuest1112019187.
^"Molly Picon Wins Ovation With Role in 'Love Thief': Sings with Usual Charm and Impersonates Inebriate".New York Herald Tribune. January 19, 1931. p. 10.ProQuest1114163789.
^"News of the Theaters: 'Seen but Not Heard' Will Open Tonight; 9 Plays Offered by Yiddish Theaters Lee Baker".New York Herald Tribune. September 17, 1936. p. 19.ProQuest1222099844.
^"News of the Theater: Constance Cummings Signed for Broadway Role in Melodrama This Spring Constance Cummings".New York Herald Tribune. March 9, 1937. p. 13.ProQuest1246944967.
^"Yiddish Cavalcade".New York Daily News. January 2, 1941. p. 236. RetrievedApril 16, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
^"News of the Theater: 'Lady Who Came to Stay,' McClinlic's First Play of Season, Opens Tonight".New York Herald Tribune. January 2, 1941. p. 10.ProQuest1248214943.
^"Large Loans Obtained On 2 Kings Buildings".New York Herald Tribune. June 11, 1941. p. 37.ProQuest1263682179.
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^"Ben-Ami, Actor 25 Years, Will Try Producing: English and Yiddish Slagt Veteran Plays New Rold at Jewish Folk Theater".New York Herald Tribune. October 8, 1944. p. C2.ProQuest1249235099.
^Martin, Gottfried (February 16, 1972). "Arts & Pleasures A Daily Critique By WWD: The Theatre: 'Grease'".Women's Wear Daily. Vol. 124, no. 13. p. 22.ProQuest1523638018.
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