The Lucille Lortel
A Gem of New York Theatre
THE LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE, at 121 Christopher Street in the West Village. Photo courtesy of Lucille Lortel Theatre.
By Lionelle Hamanaka
Lucille Lortel was born on the Lower East Side in 1900 to a Jewish family. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and studied with Max Reinhardt. She was an actress, who played leading roles on stage and on film including Antony and Cleopatra on Broadway with Helen Hayes. In 1931, Lortel married Louis Schweitzer and in 1947, she founded the White Barn Theatre in Connecticut, producing plays by George Wolff, Sean O’Casey, Samuel Beckett, Terrence McNally, and David Mamet among others. In 1955, her husband bought the Theater de Lys as an anniversary present and in 1981, it was renamed the Lucille Lortel Theatre.
She produced over 500 plays, many experimental and innovative for their time. In 1996, Lortel was inducted into the Greenwich Village Hall of Fame. Called the “Queen of Off-Broadway,” she provided a home for playwrights including Arthur Kopit, Alan Payton, Sean O’Casey, Marsha Norman, Norman Mailer, Sam Shepherd, Eugene Ionesco, Athol Fugard, Noel Coward, Langston Hughes, and great stars like Richard Burton, Lotte Lenya, Eli Wallach, Bernadette Peters, Kim Hunter, and Billy Dee Williams.
Lortel is credited with “putting Off-Broadway on the map” (NYT 4/6/99). In 1955, she produced the seminal smash revival of “The Threepenny Opera” (by Brecht) starring Lotte Lenya and Scott Williams, receiving three Tony Awards. She also produced “I Knock at the Door” by Sean O’Casey and a revival of “A Streetcar Named Desire” (among others) on Broadway. Lortel was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1990. Eight years later, she founded the Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation and supported special programs at Yale, Brown, Bennington and the Library of Congress.
LUCILLE LORTEL PRODUCED OVER 500 PLAYS, many experimental and innovative for their time. Photo courtesy of Lucille Lortel Theatre.
George Forbes, Executive Director of the Lucille Lortel Theatre & Foundation, now continues her legacy. The company runs her eponymous Theatre; a building at 134 West 18th Street; education, new play and musical development programs, the Lucille Lortel Awards, and Strategic and Management Consulting.
“We have a wonderful, committed staff who all work really hard, not only for the Lortel but also for the other companies we support. We anticipate moving into the Chelsea building in January 2026,” said Forbes who started working for Lortel in 1989. “I was the office assistant, answering calls, filing. In a couple years, I was the operations manager, and then in 1997, I went back to school, NYU’s Stern Executive MBA Program. In 1999, I became the Executive Director. Our Strategic and Management Consulting program came about organically, other companies asked for help.
“After Lortel’s death, the Board decided we would not be a producing organization. But in 2019, we changed that policy. Now we have our own programs and productions.”
“The new building on 18th Street will be a home to nurture artists and provide paths for new works. Artistic directors are Caridad Svich (New Play Development) and Michael Heitzman (New Musical Development) who join Kimille Howard, Artistic Director of the NYC High School Playwriting Fellowship.
The 121 Project, the company’s new musical development program, addresses the specific needs of a musical: “One might need orchestrating, another with puppets or choreography.” Forbes said, “We had intended to accept 121 applications, but demand was so strong we received 200. Twenty five advanced to Round Two. Finalists will meet with AD Heitzman and recipients will be selected. Michael is tirelessly optimistic and supportive.”
“Caridad has commissioned 21 writers. Initial commissions include $1,200 and a dramaturg. After a draft is submitted, Caridad and the playwright discuss how we might continue to support the work. There might be a further commission to continue working, a table or digital reading on Zoom, and possibly a staged reading. Caridad is so highly regarded by the entire community and is amazingly supportive and energetic,” Forbes said.
Howard, a director of musicals and operas around the country, leads the New York City High School Playwriting Fellowships. Students from each borough, and one D75 (highly specialized instructional support for students with significant challenges) and D79 (alternative schools) are selected. Lortel also has a Fellowship program for Bennington College students.
“A lot of work we do doesn’t generate income,” Forbes said. “And theatre is a very expensive art form. We launched our first ever year-end campaign in 2023 and exceeded our goal. We also apply for funding from Foundations, the City, State, and Federal government.”
Forbes explained that audiences are not back to their pre-Covid levels. Lortel is working to appeal to younger, more diverse audiences. One innovation is the online series “Conversations from the Alcove,” that includes discussions with playwrights led by Svich.
The next Lortel production is “On Set with Theda Bara” by Joey Merlo, a one person show, co-produced with Transport Group and playing at Brooklyn’s Brick Theater from February 6 to March 9. It will star David Greenspan and is directed by Jack Serio.
For further info, see: Lortel.org
