Grove Street Playhouse

Grove Street Playhouse
Interactive map of Grove Street Playhouse
Address39 Grove Street
New York City
United States
Coordinates40°43′58″N 74°00′16″W / 40.73277°N 74.00444°W / 40.73277; -74.00444
TypeOff-Broadway
Construction
Opened1905

The Grove Street Playhouse, also known during its existence as the Courtyard Playhouse, was an off-Broadway theatre located on Grove Street in the West Village. As the Grove Street Playhouse, it ran from 1995 to 2002.

Building history

The building was constructed in 1905 and had a number of uses throughout its history. It was first an Italian tile factory.

In 1953, the Village Arts Company settled into the space, and in 1958 the Opposite Theater Company took over. The Courtyard Players first used the former tile factory as a theatre in 1968. The space further grew into a hub for children's theatre when the Little People's Theater Company moved from 45th Street to 39 Grove Street in 1974. The 74-seat playhouse lived on the ground floor of the building, part of a four-story apartment building.

Subsequently, also known as Miss Majesties, it became the oldest children's theatre company in New York City. It took the name The Courtyard Playhouse when it was owned by Robert Stark. Later, in 1995, it became The Grove Street Playhouse under the artistic director Marilyn Majeski.

The building struggled with building violations issued by the city of New York. The Buildings Department issued violations in 1985 and 1986 related to zoning, claiming the building was not zoned for commercial use and demanding its closure. In 1991, the Environmental Control Board issued another violation, but a later ruling by the board declared the playhouse was a legal tenant. In 1999, all violations were cleared after Majeski was able to definitively prove "that theater use existed in this building prior to the zoning change effective in 1962, and that such use has been continuous." Majeski added a subplot to the theater's production of The Emperor's New Clothes about her frustrations dealing with city bureaucracy.

Grove Street Playhouse closed in 2002 due to problems renewing the lease. These problems had been ongoing, with a 1999 New York Times article noting a contentious relationship with landlord Felix Bernardo. As of 2021, Emmett's on Grove, a tavern-style pizza restaurant, occupied the space.

Productions

In 1994, at the Courtyard Playhouse, a production of Sleeping Beauty was so popular it saved the theater from bankruptcy. Notable productions at the Grove Street Playhouse included Private Life, a fictional play about Noël Coward, and the musical Queen of Hearts, a biomusical about Princess Diana by Claudia Perry and Stephen Stahl.

References

  1. 1 2 Lynch, Scott (December 6, 2021). "Great Tavern-Style Pizza And Other Midwest Favorites Now Being Served In The West Village". Gothamist. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Kilgannon, Corey (January 24, 1999). "MAKING IT WORK; Serial Drama at the Grove Street Playhouse". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Arthur, Heidi; Misshula, Nancy E.; Pollock, Jane (March 15, 1998). Who Knew Raising Kids in New York Could Be This Easy?: From Playgrounds to Preschools, Strollers to Sneakers, Eateries to Excursions-- Everything a Manhattan Parent Needs to Know. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-18222-9.
  4. ↑ "The Courtyard Playhouse, New York, NY - AboutTheArtists Theatre Profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  5. ↑ Singer, Davida (July 23, 1997). "A theater for children -- and adults". The Villager. p. 11.
  6. ↑ "Grove Street Playhouse". Michael Minn. July 27, 2006. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  7. ↑ Smith, C. S. (October 13, 2014). The New York Times Theater Reviews 1997-1998. Routledge. p. 227. ISBN 978-1-136-75033-5.
  8. ↑ Lefkowitz, David (August 25, 1998). "Princess Di Musical Hopes To Win Hearts at NY's Grove Street, Oct. 1". Playbill.