50 Years of Groundbreaking Theater: An NYC Performance Tribute

OFF Stage is a journey that the 3 of us have been on for over 25 years—well before we knew each other. When we were all young actors working on audition monologues, scene study classes and student productions, these plays and the many others that birthed OOB were what started us dreaming of life and work in downtown NYC. These plays are, no doubt, the very reason that we chose to make our lives in the theater.

Some folks, now and back then, have knocked OOB for being unprofessional, disorganized or amateur, but we hope that our adventure shows a new generation the power of the incredible imagination and creativity of this movement. We know we’re only scratching the surface. The Caffe Cino alone produced hundreds of plays between 1958 and 1968. And we can’t even begin to tell you about all the venues that were fondly recounted to us—even if their specific location wasn’t exactly remembered—or the dozens of coffeehouses, cafes and bars that made a brief, intense contribution to the OOB scene. Professional or not, organized or not, this movement lives on today in over 500 OOB theaters and thousands of downtown theater-makers, who make alternative work against overwhelming odds, without the hint of fame or fortune, just because it’s important.