50 Years of Groundbreaking Theater: An NYC Performance Tribute

The beginning of an artistic movement is often impossible to pinpoint. New York City’s Off-Off Broadway is no exception, but 2006 is roughly the 50th anniversary of this vital theatrical movement. This spark of revolution turned Greenwich Village into a hot spot of artistic experimentation in the late 1950s.

Caffé Cino, 31 Cornelia Street (1965)
Photo: James Gossage

31 Cornelia Street (2005)

The OFF Project is a year-long exploration into the plays and venues that most define this era, featuring readings, workshops, and “talk-back” dialogues. It culminates next year in a multi-venue performance that will travel along historic Village streets from the East to the West Village. Along the way, short scenes from over a dozen landmark plays will reawaken the actual sites where they premiered.

More Than A Show. Various public events are scheduled throughout the 05-06 season for audiences to take an entertaining and educational look back at what made Off-Off Broadway the place to be. Monthly readings staged by some of today’s top emerging directors will include over 50 influential early works, along with symposia featuring artistic luminaries from the period, sharing their stories with new audiences.

This is an important time to remind the City of our rich artistic legacy. The OFF Project will be a highly entertaining adventure that pays tribute to the venues and innovators of American alternative theater – with a decidedly contemporary spin – and it will enrich New Yorkers and tourists alike with the City’s unique theatrical heritage.
Unforgettable NYC theaters:

Caffé Cino

Living Theater

Judson Poets Theater

Café La Mama
Tempo Theater
Theater Genesis
Performance Group
Open Theater
Provincetown Playhouse
Cherry Lane Theater
Circle in the Square
Playhouse of the Ridiculous
Old Reliable Tavern

The OFF Project is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Nancy Quinn Fund.