Pearl Theatre Company Finds Home on 42nd Street

By: Feb. 29, 2012
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Continuing its reinvigoration, The Pearl Theatre Company has signed a 20-year lease on 555 West 42nd Street, the venue recently vacated by Signature Theatre Company, J.R. Sullivan, The Pearl's Artistic Director, announced today. The Pearl will inaugurate its permanent home with its 29th season, beginning this fall. Denham Wolf, a firm specializing in providing real estate services to cultural and other nonprofit organizations, served as The Pearl's broker and consultant in this transaction.

The Pearl will launch a $3 million capital campaign to fund facility renovations and new equipment and foster institutional growth and sustainability.

Since its founding in 1984, The Pearl has established a strong reputation as the only resident classical company in New York. The company has performed at New York City Center Stage II since 2009, when it left the location it had occupied since 1994: Theatre 80 on St. Mark's Place in the East Village.

"This move to 42nd Street marks a tremendous opportunity for The Pearl and its audiences," said Sullivan. "The former home of the Signature Theatre Company is justly renowned as a great space for great plays. It is convenient, comfortable, and offers audiences an intimate relationship to an especially fine stage space. It will prove a perfect fit for the classics to come from The Pearl."

Sullivan's tenure as Artistic Director of The Pearl began in 2009, when he succeeded founding Artistic Director Shepard Sobel. Under Sullivan's leadership, The Pearl has produced new work in addition to established classics, brought in new directors and actors for specific productions to complement its resident company, and broadened its appeal to younger audiences. The Pearl recently announced the hire of a new Managing Director, David Roberts (Siti Company, Yale Repertory Theatre).

Allison Cooke Kellogg, Chair of The Pearl's Board of Trustees, said, "Our move to a permanent home marks the beginning of a new era for The Pearl Theatre Company. Our new location will enable The Pearl to expand its programming. It opens new vistas for our productions and provides the opportunity to introduce innovative learning programs, both of which will make classical theater even more relevant and compelling to contemporary audiences."

James Houghton, Founding Artistic Director of Signature Theatre Company, said, "I am thrilled that The Pearl Theatre Company will be making the Peter Norton Space their new home. The intimate space beautifully suits their strong classical work and they will be a valuable addition to our vibrant theater community on 42nd street."

"Every theater company hopes to one day secure a permanent performance venue, but organizational readiness is essential when undertaking such a costly and demanding endeavor. We began working with The Pearl almost eight years ago in support of this goal," said Paul Wolf of Denham Wolf. "When the right space became available, The Pearl was prepared to take advantage of this rare opportunity."

Founded in 1984 by a small troupe of artists in Chelsea, The Pearl has grown into a renowned Off-Broadway company. The Pearl connects audiences to timeless classic plays, while providing an artistic home to theatre professionals, especially its core company of resident actors. As New York's only classical resident company, The Pearl has produced a body of work encompassing the full breadth of theater history, from ancient Greek tragedy to contemporary works rooted in the classics.

The Pearl has garnered numerous awards, including, most recently, a special 2011 Drama Desk Award for "notable productions of classic plays and nurturing a stalwart resident company of actors" and a 2011 Lortel Award nomination for Best Revival (for The Misanthrope).



Videos