Production History

Mainstage: 1920 - 1959

1924

SATURDAY NIGHT
by Richard Fresnell
(The first theatrical presentation at the Cherry Lane Playhouse)

THE MAN WHO ATE POPOMACK
by W. J. Turner
directed by Reginald Travers
opened March 24

THE WAY OF THE WORLD
by William Congreve
produced by the Cherry Lane Players Inc.
with Mrs. Patrick Campbell
opened November 17

1925

LOGERHEADS
by Ralph Cullinan
produced by Whitford Kane and Barry Macollum
Opened February 9

WILD BIRDS
by Dan Totheroh
with Donald Duff and Mildred MacLeod

POLLY
by John Gay
opened October 10

1926

THE MOON IS A GONG
by John Dos Passos
directed by Edward Massey
produced by Juliet Barrett Rublee
designed by Mordecai Gorelik
with Ben Osipow, William Challee and Helen Chandler
opened March 12

DARK MIRROR
by Irving Stone
directed by Adele Gutman Nathan
produced by the Lennox Hill Players
with Lillian Azair, Syd Brenner and A.J. Field
opened November 9

1927

THE BELT
by Paul Sifton
directed by Edward Massey
with Franchot Tone, Benjamin Osipow and Jane Barry
opened October 19

THE CENTURIES
by Em Jo Basshe
with Franchot Tone, Lawrence Bolton and Jane Barry
opened November 29

STIGMA
by Dorothy Manley and Donald Duff
with Donald Duff, Edmond Rickett and Doralyn Spence

1928

THE INTERNATIONAL
by J.H. Lawson
directed by J.H. Lawson
with George Price, Herbert Bergman, Miriam Gumble and Franchot Tone
opened January 12

HOBOKEN BLUES
book by Michael Gold
directed by Edward Massey
with Lawrence Bolton, Mona Lewis, Murray Franklin and Sheba Strunsky
opened February 17

THE WALTZ OF THE DOGS
by L. Andreyev
directed and Produced by Celia Avramo
opened April 25

1929

THE SUBWAY
by Elmer Rice
directed by Adele Gutman Nathan
produced by the Lennox Hill Players
with Peter Gwyn, Jane Hamilton and Harry J. Marks
opened January 25

A TRIP TO SCARBOROUGH
by Richard Brinsley Sheridan
directed by Bushnell Cheney
produced by The Jitney Players
with Bushnell Cheney, Alice B. Keating and William Lovejoy
opened March 18

THE DRAGON
by Lady Augusta Gregory
directed by David Elliot
produced by The Jitney Players
with Bushnell Cheney, Alice B. Keating and William Lovejoy
opened March 25

THE VEGETABLE
by F. Scott Fitzgerald
directed by Lee Strasberg
produced by the Lennox Hill Players
with Syn Brenner, Harry J. Marks and Eve Saxer
opened April 10

SCENES AND MOODS - (an evening of theatre and dance)
with Catherine Cale and Ruth Parks

1930 - 1935

Under Paul Gilmore Management:

THE HAVOC
by H.S. Sheldon
with Paul Gilmore, Virginia Gilmore, Phil Huston and Lew Dick

THIS THING CALLED LOVE
directed by Paul Gilmore
with Paul and Virginia Gilmore, Marvin Ware, Syd Prevore, John Anania, Beverly Mae Laska, Louise Paul, Josephine Palmer, Sonya Simetski, Gail Gregg, Mable Hill, Stanley La Butis, Salvatore Lupo, Reita Hauer, Polly White, Kate Jolan, Pierre Vekony, William Monsees, Robert Loynaz, Stuart Blum, Charlotte Charlaque and Retta D. Wood

GIRLS IN UNIFORM
with Virginia Gilmore

EXPERIENCE

A CHARMING RASCAL
by Clare Kummer

A SUCCESSFUL CALAMITY
by Clare Kummer
directed by Paul Gilmore
with Paul Gilmore, Virginia Gilmore, Earle Tuttle and Harry Forbes
opened February 12, 1934

FRIENDLY ENEMIES
by Aaron Hoffman and Samuel Shipman

STRICTLY DISHONORABLE
by Preston Sturges

THE DRUNKARD
by W. M. H. Smith

UNDER THE GASLIGHT
by Augustin Daly

SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK
NO MOTHER TO GUIDE HER
by Anthony Forsythe

ART AND MRS. BOTTLE: OR, THE RETURN OF THE PURITAN
by Benn W. Levy

1932

THE BEAST TAMER
by Leah Medisca
with Charles Boehme, Guerita Donnelly, Neryda Montez, Francis Stone, Mary Martin McCarthy, Mimosa Fejos, Richard Reeves, Joseph Gallo, Mary Shaw, Ann Allen, Marie Stark, Lou Brignoli, Isabelle Prince, Rose Clayman, Ray Bellows, Sol Burrows, Harry Wilson, and David Schreiber

1933
HOUSE OF HATE

1934
TROJAN WOMEN
by Euripides

1935 -1936

Mystery Theatre with Paul Gilmore:
THE PHANTOM
by Dion Boucicault

MURDERED ALIVE
by Wilbur Braun

MAN CRAZY
by Stephen Sanford
opened June 18, 1933

DOCTOR JECKYLL AND MISTER HYDE
BETWEEN OURSELVES
DRACULA
by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston
directed by Paul Gilmore
with Paul and Virginia Gilmore, Sonya Simetsky, Reita Harowitz, Ann Paul, Mable Hill,
Mary Elizabeth Honaghan, Emily Julian, Delmar Neutzman, Stanley Blum, Stanley La Butus, Sydney Prevore, Jerry Gallon, Marvin Ware, Ken Michell, Charlotte Luck, Charlotte Charague, Eleanor Eaton, Pierre Vekony, Light Bourne and Robert Loynaz

1937

THE BISHOP MISBEHAVES
by Frederick Jackson
with Virginia and Paul Gilmore

1939

RESERVE FOR MURDER
by Gregory Dean

1942

Savoy Opera Guild:
PATIENCE
by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

THE GONDOLIERS
by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

THE MIKADO
by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

PIRATES OF PENZANCE
by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

H.M.S. PINAFORE
by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan

1945

EMPEROR JONES
by Eugene O'Neill

ART & MRS. BATTLE: OR, THE RETURN OF THE PURITAN
by Benn W. Levy

1946

THE SPUR
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK
by Sean O'Casey
directed by Carmen Capalbo
opened July 1
View the Program

AWAKE AND SING!
by Clifford Odets
directed by Leo Lieberman
opened July 22

DEAR BRUTUS by Sir James Barrie
directed by Leo Lieberman
opened August 12

SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE
by Paul Vincent Carroll
directed by Carmen Capalbo
opened Sept 2

1947

THE DOG BENEATH THE SKIN
by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood
with Beatrice Arthur (professional debut), Jerry Stiller and Lynne Rogers
opened July 21

GAS
by Georg Kaiser
with Beatrice Arthur

LIFE SENTENCE
by Phillip Van Dyke

THE WATCHED POT
by Saki

HENRY IV
by Luigi Pirandello
directed by Alexis Solomos
View the Program

1948

ANGEL STREET (revival)
by Patrick Hamilton

THE THIRTEENTH GOD
by Richard Gerson
with Judith Malina
designed by Julian Beck
with Judith Malina and Geraldine Page
Trial run for The Living Theatre at The Cherry Lane.

1949

BOURGEOIS GENTLEMAN
by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin de Molière

YES IS FOR A VERY YOUNG MAN
by Gertrude Stein
directed by Lamont Johnson
with Anthony Franciosa, Kim Stanley, Michael Vincent Gazzo, Beatrice Arthur, Jane Moutrie, Leola Le Sand, A.L. Dreiblatt, and Gene Saks
opened June 6

ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK
by William Saroyan

1951

The Living Theatre:

Julian Beck rented The Cherry Lane for $900 a month as a space for The Living Theatre after inheriting $6000 from an uncle who had no children

DOCTOR FAUSTUS LIGHTS THE LIGHTS
by Gertrude Stein (1951)

BEYOND THE MOUNTAIN
by Kenneth Rexroth (1951)
with Judith Malina

1952

An Evening of Bohemian Theatre:

LADIES’ VOICES
by Gertrude Stein

SWEENEY AGONISTES
by T.S. Eliot

DESIRE CAUGHT BY THE TAIL
by Pablo Picasso

FAUSTINA
by Paul Goodman
with Judith Malina, Paul Smith and Julie Bovasso

MUSIC OF CHANGES<
by John Cage
with David Tudor

THE HEROES
A reading by Dylan Thomas
by John Ashbury
designed by Julian Beck
opened August 5

UBU ROI
by Alfred Jarry, translated by Judith Malina and Julian Beck
designed by Julian Beck
opened August 5

The fire department closed the shows Ubu and The Heroes, insisting that Julian Beck’s sets were dangerously flammable. It has been suggested that the closing of the shows was an attempt to contain The Living Theatre and their "bohemian influence." Judith Malina chased the fire inspector from down Commerce Street with a bamboo spear from the theatre.

1952 also saw a series of midnight folk music concerts produced by Paddy, Tom and
Liam Clancy. Artists presented include Pete Seeger, Burl Ives, Jean Ritchie, Jack Elliot, Theodore Bikel and Bob Dylan

1955

Procenium Productions
THE WAY OF THE WORLD
by William Congreve
with Fritz Weaver, Thayer David, Nancy Wickwire and Louis Edmonds

MORNING'S AT SEVEN
by Paul Osbourn

THIEVES' CARNIVAL
by Jean Anouilh
with Tom Bosley

Proscenium Productions at the Cherry Lane become the first Off-Broadway company to receive a Special Tony Award , for generally high quality and viewpoint, as shown in The Way of the World and Thieves’ Carnival. The award was presented to Warren Enters, Robert Merriman and Sybil Trubin.

1956

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM
by Jack Kirkland
with Robert Loggia, Peggy Feury, Vincent Gardenia and Dolores Sutton

PURPLE DUST
by Sean O'Casey
produced by Paul Shyre and Noel Behn
with Kathleen Murray, Peter Falk & Alvin Epstein
Barbra Streisand, Understudy and Assistant Stage Manager
Ran for 430 performances, longer than an O’Casey play had ever run anywhere

THE ADMIRABLE BASHVILLE and THE DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS
by George Bernard Shaw
with Frances Sternhagen who was awarded The Clarence Derwent Award for
Unknown Featured Actress in US & Europe

THREE PREMIERES, One-Act Plays:

SIDEWALKS AND THE SOUND OF CRYING
by S. Lee Pogostin

THIS PROPERTY IS CONDEMNED
by Tennessee Williams

ONCE AROUND THE BLOCK
by William Saroyan

1957

ENDGAME
by Samuel Beckett
directed by Alan Schneider
produced by Noel Behn
designed by David Hays
with Alvin Epstein, P.J. Kelly, Lester Rawlins
View the Program

1958

CAMILLE
by Alexandre Dumas
with Colleen Dewhurst

A PARTY WITH BETTY COMDEN AND ALFRED GREEN
by Comden and Green

THE BOY FRIEND
By Sandy Wilson
Opened: January 25th, 1958
Directed by Gus Schirmer
This production ran for 763 Performances and was considered by many to be much truer to the original London production than it's 1954 Broadway predecessor.  The orchestra consisted of a a banjo, drums, and a piano.

1959

DINNY & THE WITCHES
by William Gibson
directed by Jess Kimmel
produced by Jess Kimmel and Alfred Stern
with Bill Heyer
opened December 9

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