Remembering the Provincetown Playhouse
On November 22, 1918, the first performances were staged at the Provincetown Playhouse’s new home at 133 MacDougal Street. Founded in Massachusetts three years prior as the Provincetown Players, the … Continued
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Tag: Provincetown Playhouse
Women Crush Wednesday: Susan Glaspell and the Birth of Modern American Drama
This is one in a series of posts discussing the role that Greenwich Village played in the development of Modern American Theatre. Click here to read more. Why is the name … Continued
LGBTQ+ Pride Programs Roundup
The roots of LGBTQ+ life in our neighborhoods are deeper than we even know. In the documentary PS. Burn This Letter Please, which premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival … Continued
127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street: Architecture, Artists, African Americans, and “Alternative Lifestyles”
On June 8th, 2004, 127, 129, and 131 MacDougal Street, three 1829 Federal Style houses, were landmarked — the first three of thirteen Village Preservation and the NY Landmarks Conservancy jointly proposed and campaigned for landmark … Continued
As Fifth Avenue Nears 200, A Look Back at How & Where It All Began, and Celebrated 100
Fifth Avenue, one of New York’s defining thoroughfares, stretches from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village, kicked off (or terminated, depending upon your perspective) by Washington Square Arch. It stretches … Continued
Great Modernist Thinker and Critic Kenneth Burke Calls Ten Village Addresses Home
On January 6, 1918, a young Kenneth Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) wrote a letter to his friend, the emerging writer Malcolm Cowley. In the letter, Burke … Continued
Demolitions in Our Historic Image Archive: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Village Preservation is always working hard to document, celebrate, and protect the historic character of our neighborhoods, including the great buildings that make Greenwich Village, NoHo and East Village such … Continued
A Video Campaign to “Save the South Village”
On Columbus Day in 2012 ( which was on October 8th), Village Preservation launched its “Save the South Village” video campaign. Columbus Day is traditionally a time to celebrate the … Continued
History Lost to NYU
We all know that New York University has an enormous presence in Greenwich Village and the East Village — one that has grown tremendously in recent decades, and is continuing … Continued
Remembering the Arch (and other) Conspirators
On January 23, 1917, poet Gertrude Drick, painters John Sloan and Marcel Duchamp, and actors Russell Mann, Betty Turner, and Charles Ellis climbed to the top of Washington Square Arch. Drick … Continued
The Birth of the Provincetown Playhouse
On November 3, 1916, the Provincetown Players performed their first production in their new home in Greenwich Village. The theater company performed King Arthur’s Socks by Floyd Dell, The Game by Louise Bryant, … Continued
Happy Birthday, Eugene O’Neill
On this day in 1888, Eugene Gladstone O’Neill was born, and the course of American theater would change forever. O’Neill became the first American dramatist to regard the stage as … Continued
Clifford Odets and The Group Theatre
Clifford Odets, one of America’s greatest playwrights, passed away on this day in 1963 at the age of 57. Odets grew up in the Bronx but migrated downtown as … Continued
Happy Birthday Marcel Duchamp!
This is an updated reposting of a blog by former staffer, Lauren Snetiker, July 28th, 2015 Today marks what would have been Marcel Duchamp’s 130th Birthday. Duchamp was born in … Continued
Let Me Introduce To You: Sgt. Pepper’s Greenwich Village Band
The classic Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, considered by many the greatest and most influential rock album of all time, was released on May 26, 1967 in … Continued
Happy Birthday, Paul Robeson
Although Paul Robeson is most strongly associated with the Harlem Renaissance, this dynamic public figure cut his teeth on the Greenwich Village theater circuit and fully embraced the bohemian, progressive, and … Continued
Thirteen Years Ago, An Idea: Landmark the South Village
On November 11th, 2003, GVSHP launched our campaign to protect the South Village. GVSHP partnered with the Preservation League of New York State, elected officials, other community groups, neighborhood residents, and … Continued
Unrecognizable: Former Village Institutions and what has taken their place
It’s no secret that the Village has changed. However, due to rising demand for real estate, hyper-gentrification threatens the unique and special fabric of our neighborhoods. It’s not just small and … Continued
Birthday Blog with Charles Busch!
Charles Busch is the quintessential Villager. A prolific playwright and actor, he has lived in the West Village for most of his adult life. This reporter has been a life-long … Continued
Village People: Polly Holladay
Some things never change about New York City life; New Yorkers’ social lives have seemingly always hinged on the restaurants and bars in their neighborhoods. Aside from the very lucky … Continued
Happy Birthday, John Leguizamo, Passionate Preservationist
John Lequizamo, arguably one of the Village’s funniest residents, was not always a preservationist. As he remarked in a recent interview in the New York Times, his therapist recommended that … Continued
Greenwich Village: The Birthplace of Modern American Drama
Greenwich Village has been a hot-bed for creative theatrical minds since at least the beginnings of the 20th century. In fact, among the most important of the movements in American … Continued
Happy Birthday, Marcel Duchamp!
Marvel Duchamp was born in France on July 28, 1887, trained as a painter in Paris until 1905, and spent much of his adult life living in Paris and New … Continued
Village People: Djuna Barnes
(This post is part of a series called Village People: A Who’s Who of Greenwich Village, which will explore some of this intern’s favorite Village people and stories.) Djuna Barnes … Continued
All the World’s a Village on Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday
Today marks William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, although some sources say his exact date of birth is unknown. He never set foot in the Village – he lived before it was … Continued
A First for Recognizing LGBT History in the South Village
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been highlighting the recent designation of the South Village Historic District, which GVSHP fought ten years to achieve, as well as the treasure trove … Continued
The Artist: Anthony F. Dumas and His Theater Drawings
An amazing resource that we have featured here and there on Off the Grid is the theater drawings of Anthony F. Dumas. From the Jewish Rialto along lower Second Avenue … Continued
Bob Dylan records “Blowin’ in the Wind” – July 9, 1962
On this day, July 9th, back in 1962, Bob Dylan recorded his song, “Blowin’ in the Wind.” There are many, many connections between Bob Dylan, this song, and the Village, … Continued
South Village at Stake in Hudson Square Rezoning Vote
With the important vote on the Hudson Square rezoning by the City Council’s Zoning Subcommittee this Wednesday, we will find out if the City Council will approve or deny the … Continued
Quinn holds the cards on rezoning and landmarking
From The Villager Newspaper, February 14, 2013 Op-Ed: Quinn Holds the Cards on Hudson Square Rezoning and South Village Landmarking http://www.thevillager.com/?p=10221 By Andrew Berman, Katy Bordonaro, Zack Winestine, Micki McGee, … Continued
Conspiracy Atop the Arch
Ninety-six years ago today a group of artists gathered at the top of the Washington Square Arch. Poet Gertrude Drick, painters John Sloan (who drew the etching above) and Marcel … Continued
Bittersweet Anniversary for Provincetown Playhouse
On November 22, 1918, the first performances were staged at the Village’s renowned Provincetown Playhouse in the theater company’s permanent home. Founded in 1915 in Massachusetts as the Provincetown Players … Continued
History Repeats Itself – Significant Site in South Village to be Demolished
In 2008 NYU planned to demolish the Provincetown Playhouse to make way for a new law school building. Located at 133-139 MacDougal Street the Provincetown Playhouse was an incredibly significant … Continued
South Village Named To “Seven to Save” List!
We are thrilled to share with you the news that GVSHP successfully nominated the South Village to the Preservation League of New York State’s “Seven to Save” list — their … Continued
This Columbus Day, Save the South Village
Columbus Day has traditionally served as an opportunity to honor the contributions of Italian-Americans to our country. The South Village is one of New York’s great immigrant neighborhoods from the … Continued
A Greenwich Village Artifact in Texas
We love receiving research queries here at GVSHP, but never more so than when the person asking the question has something to tell us. So we were quite pleased to … Continued
Happy Birthday Blowin’ In the Wind
On July 9, 1962, Bob Dylan recorded “Blowin’ In the Wind,” a song destined to become an anthem for a generation, and for the transformative civil rights and peace movements. … Continued