New York City Theater

THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS PASSED ON TO ME FROM FELLOW CRITIC LEONARD JACOBS:

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

You may have read that my alma mater, NYU, proposes to demolish one of New York's most important theatres—the Provincetown Playhouse. This iconic, historic site where many of the plays by Eugene O’Neill were born, where the alternative-theatre movement took shape, may be one community board meeting away from a date with a wrecking ball.

I am ashamed of NYU President John Sexton's indifference to American theatre history. That is why I'm joining Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation , to stop NYU from acting on this idea. It was disheartening enough that NYU, after renovating the Playhouse, took it off the market for both commercial and nonprofit producers. To demolish it would be sacrilege.

Please call NYU President John Sexton (212-998-2345) and voice your concern.

We're also asking you to please email President Sexton (john.sexton@nyu.edu ) directly. If you do, please cc Alicia Hurley (alicia.hurley@nyu.edu ), associate VP for government and community affairs, and John Beckman (john.beckman@nyu.edu), VP for public affairs. You can also cc Mr. Berman (gvshp@gvshp.org) if you wish to show your support.

Here's the sample letter Andrew provided—very easy to cut, paste and send.


<
John Sexton
President, New York University
70 Washington Square South, rm. 1216
New York, NY 10012

Re: Plans to Demolish the Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments
133-139 MacDougal Street

Dear President Sexton:

We are deeply concerned about NYU’s plans to demolish the Provincetown Playhouse and Apartments at 133-139 MacDougal Street.

The Provincetown Playhouse is widely considered one of the most important sites in the history of 20th century American theatre. It is considered the birthplace of Off-Broadway and the alternative theatre movement. Its contributions to the theatre extended throughout the Playhouse’s lifetime, both before and after the 1940 renovation of the theatre’s facade.

Demolishing this site would be seen as a hostile, devastating act to historians, preservationists, and theater advocates, not to mention Greenwich Village residents. It would abrogate NYU’s commitment to “prioritize re-use before new development” in its plans for a “campus core.” It would also abrogate NYU’s public support for the proposed South Village Historic District, of which the Playhouse is an integral part.

We hope NYU will reconsider its plans to demolish the Provincetown Playhouse and instead preserve this irreplaceable historic site.

Sincerely,>>


Two final notes. Please mark May 28 — the date of the community board meeting. I'll be providing updates on what's happening that day through my blog and in future emails.

Finally, please forward this email to anyone who cares about the American theatre. (How ironic that even President Sexton's son is an actor.)

The Provincetown Playhouse must not be demolished.