Greenwich Village Theatre

The Greenwich Village Theatre once stood right here at the corner of Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue South, serving as a beacon for the neighborhood's bohemian spirit. Opened in 1917, the five hundred seat playhouse was designed to be a sanctuary for artistic expression, free from the commercial pressures that defined the massive theaters of Broadway. It was the brainchild of actor Frank Conroy and his circle of like minded performers who wanted a space where they could stage plays of any length and any style. To keep the neighborhood regulars from feeling threatened by such an avant garde presence, the architect Herman Lee Meader designed the exterior in a respectable Dutch Colonial style, featuring brickwork that blended in with the surrounding historic houses.