Greenwich House Theater

The Greenwich House Theater occupies a building constructed between 1916 and 1917, designed by the architects Delano and Aldrich. Its original Federalist-style structure was funded by prominent board members, including Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who envisioned a facility that would serve the whole human by balancing social services with the arts. Before it became a professional stage, the space was the heart of a vibrant children's theater program established in 1917. For over sixty-five years, this program was led by children's author and playwright Helen Murphy, providing a creative outlet for the children of the neighborhood's predominantly Italian immigrant families.