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Angel Orensanz Center

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Stanton Street is a west-to-east street in the New York City borough of Manhattan , in the neighborhood of the Lower East Side . The street begins at the Bowery in the west and runs east to a dead end past Pitt Street, adjacent to Hamilton Fish Park . A shorter section of Stanton Street also exists east of Columbia Street; it was isolated from the remainder of the street in 1959 with the construction of the Gompers Houses and the Masaryk Towers.

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37-644: The Angel Orensanz Center is an art and performance space at 172 Norfolk Street, between Stanton Street and East Houston Street , on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City . It was originally built as a synagogue , running through a succession of congregations and continues to be used as one occasionally as The Shul of New York . It was erected in 1849, making it the oldest surviving synagogue building in New York City , and

74-930: A cabaret-style venue for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists, and soloists. Additionally, The Public operates the Delacorte Theater in Central Park , where it has staged " Shakespeare in the Park " performances free of charge since 1954. Recent productions include: The Merchant of Venice (2010); Here Lies Love (2013); Fun Home (2013); Eclipsed (2015); and Hamilton (2015). In addition to each season of full-scale theatrical productions, The Public produces several different series, festivals, and programs each year. The Public presented its inaugural Public LAB series in 2008 with an annual series of new plays presented in collaboration with LAByrinth Theater Company . With each Public LAB show,

111-592: A landmarked Romanesque revival structure at 425 Lafayette Street since 1967, built between 1853 and 1881 as the Astor Library, which later merged with the Tilden and Lenox collections to become the New York Public Library . The library was built by William B. Astor , son of the library's founder, John Jacob Astor . A German-born architect, Alexander Saeltzer , who had been the architect of

148-532: A liberal Reform synagogue organized in 1997 that was founded by Rabbi Emeritus Burt Siegel who originally held the Shul's Shabbat services at the synagogue and they still hold Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services there. Rabbi Susan Falk has led The Shul of New York since 2021. The Shul's services are accompanied by the Shul Band , led by Adam Feder. It is the oldest standing synagogue in New York City. In 1994,

185-415: A main space of 7,000 square feet (650 m) (and an assembly room of 4,000 square feet (370 m)) and 50-foot (15 m) high cathedral blue ceilings. It has pointed arch tall lancet windows (originally surrounded by trefoil tracery and moldings) and doorways (surrounded by parts of moldings showing engaged columns and foliate capitals). Its larger center door is crowned by triangular molding that

222-682: A playground in the Sara Delano Roosevelt Park . The M'Finda Kalunga community garden is also at this location. The Lower East Side, once known for its large Jewish community of German, Eastern European Jews and later by Puerto Ricans before an influx of newer immigrants, is beginning to see a slight resurgence in the Jewish character of the neighborhood, led by the Stanton Street Synagogue , Congregation Bnai Jacob Anshei Brzezan. The Sara D. Roosevelt Park had

259-408: A service facility at Stanton Street which included a public restroom until 1994, when it was closed. Lady Gaga lived there before she was famous. Forever protagonist Henry Morgan and his adopted son lived at Suffolk & Stanton Streets (the actual Louis Zuflacht building at 154 Stanton Street, which for the show was "Abe's Antiques"). The street, crowded, with market goods, is shown in

296-490: A succession of owners: Hungarian Development, Inc. (1983), Seashells, Inc. (1984), and finally Angel Lopez Orensanz (1986). Spanish sculptor and painter Angel Orensanz purchased the property in 1986, about after 12 years after its last synagogue-owners had abandoned its use. He restored it and converted it into an art gallery and performance space known as the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for

333-468: A summer intensive exploring the rigors, challenges, and joys of performing Shakespeare. The Public Theater hosts educational programs for teenagers such as Shakespeare Spring Break, Summer ShakeUP, and A Midsummer Day's Camp programs, all for teenagers interested in learning about and performing Shakespeare. Suzan-Lori Parks , Pulitzer Prize -winning playwright and Master Writer Chair of The Public, debuted her performance piece Watch Me Work as part of

370-484: A three-month hiatus during the summer of 2011 to allow for construction. The building re-opened on October 4, 2012 after a renovation designed by Ennead Architects costing $ 40 million. In 2013, The Public launched Public Works, which brings together diverse groups of people throughout the five boroughs of New York City to watch theater, participate in theatrical workshops, and perform in one full-scale Public Works production alongside professional actors at Shakespeare in

407-503: A workshop and a full production in front of an audience, as an opportunity to gage audience reaction and further develop their work. The Public Theater invests in theater education, training classical actors through the annual summer acting intensive known as the Shakespeare Lab. The Shakespeare Lab is The Public Theater's professional actor development program that immerses a selected company of professional, mid-career actors in

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444-719: Is a new platform for The Public's exploration of the Shakespeare canon. This expansion marks the growth of The Public's Shakespeare Initiative and provides more ways for The Public to produce American interpretations of Shakespeare's works. The first production of Public LAB SHAKESPEARE was Timon of Athens in March 2011, with Richard Thomas playing the title role. Since 2013, The Public's Mobile Unit has been bringing free Shakespeare performances to various locations throughout New York City's five boroughs, including prisons, homeless shelters, and community centers. The tour concludes at

481-451: Is almost as high as the second floor, which contains a Magen David with thin pinnacles on either side. It also has interior wooden vaults and several balconies (one of which houses Angel Orensanz's studio). It has a tripartite front facade of red stone brick, covered with stucco , framed at its top by a pointed gable . Originally, the building was three stories high and topped by concave pyramidal roofs with finials atop them; today, it

518-489: Is closely associated with Christianity, it had also become popular with synagogues as Jewish congregations had taken over old church buildings and become accustomed to the style and viewed it as just as appropriate as any other architectural style. The building opened in 1849 as Anshe Chesed Synagogue and was also known as the Norfolk Street Congregation. After Ansche Chesed left in 1874, the synagogue

555-565: Is named after George Stanton, an associate of landowner James De Lancey . The street also includes a settlement house based on the ideas that Jane Addams brought from the settlement movement in England that won her a Nobel Prize in 1931. The Stanton Street Settlement, founded in 1999, is active in the community through volunteer work. The site of the second African burial ground in New York lies between Stanton and Rivington Streets, now

592-480: Is two stories high and topped by buttressed , clearly differentiated side square towers on either side of the center section. The towers were an unusual feature at the time they were built, containing articulated stairwells to the galleries. Its original ceiling was deep blue, with gold stars. The building was designated a New York City Historic Landmark in 1987. The synagogue was built by Congregation Ansche Chesed (People of Kindness), at time known as Anshe Slonim,

629-624: The Anshe Chesed Synagogue , designed the building in Rundbogenstil style, then the prevailing style for public building in Germany. Astor funded two expansions of the building toward Astor Place, designed by Griffith Thomas (1856–1869) and Thomas Stent (1879–1881). Both large expansions followed Saeltzer's original design so seamlessly that an observer cannot detect that the edifice was built in three stages. In 1920,

666-600: The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society purchased the building. By 1965, it was in disuse and faced demolition. The Public Theater, then the New York Shakespeare Festival , persuaded the city to purchase it for use as a theater. It was converted for theater use by Giorgio Cavaglieri between 1967 and 1976. The building is a New York City Landmark , designated in 1965. It was one of the first buildings to be recognized as such by

703-500: The director . Taking Back Sunday 's live acoustic album Live from Orensanz was recorded here in 2010. It was the venue for the 2011 live recording of MTV Unplugged by Florence + The Machine . In 2015, Venture Opera staged three performances of Mozart 's opera Don Giovanni at the Orensanz Center. The same year, the center was used in the filming of an episode of Jessica Jones . Photographer Daniel Hastings used

740-711: The 2011 Under The Radar Festival. In the performance, Parks worked on her newest writing project in the main lobby of The Public Theater. A number of The Public's productions have moved to larger Broadway theaters upon the conclusion of their run at Astor Place. The three most commercially successful of these works have been Hair (1967), A Chorus Line (1975), and Hamilton (2015). The Public Theater has won 54 Tony Awards , 152 Obie Awards , 42 Drama Desk Awards and five Pulitzer Prizes . Fifty-five Public Theater productions have moved to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones , That Championship Season , A Chorus Line , For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When

777-676: The Arts . The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the building as a historic landmark the following year. It subsequently became home to The Shul of New York , a liberal non-denominational synagogue. The building's interior resembles that of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. The sanctuary was designed to resemble the Sistine Chapel . The building is 70 feet (21 m) wide by 90 feet (27 m) deep. It has

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814-533: The Park. Past Public Works productions include The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, and The Odyssey. The Public Forum, begun in 2010, is a series of lectures, debates, and conversations that showcase leading voices in the arts, politics and the media. Curated by Jeremy McCarter, a senior writer at Newsweek , Public Forum events explore issues raised by plays in The Public's season, as well as the political and cultural headlines of today's world. Notable participants in

851-537: The Public Theater, having previously performed at notable venues such as Rikers Island , Borden Avenue's Veteran's Shelter, and The Fortune Society. The Public also launched its inaugural Public Works production in 2013. Public Works combines diverse groups of people throughout the five boroughs of New York City to watch theater, participate in theatrical workshops, and perform in one full-scale Public Works production alongside professional actors at Shakespeare in

888-535: The Rainbow Is Enuf , The Pirates of Penzance , The Tempest , Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk , Michael John LaChiusa 's The Wild Party , The Ride Down Mt. Morgan , Topdog/Underdog , Take Me Out , Caroline, or Change , Passing Strange , the revival of HAIR , Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson , The Merchant of Venice , The Normal Heart , Well , Fun Home , Hamilton , and Eclipsed . The Public has been housed in

925-562: The controversial Andres Serrano -directed music video for Godflesh 's song " Crush My Soul " was filmed in the center. Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick were married there in 1997. Mandy Patinkin 's Mamaloshen was also performed there, and Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel , poet Maya Angelou , playwright Arthur Miller , actress Tyne Daly , composer Philip Glass , and singers Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey have performed there. In 2003, Avril Lavigne recorded her music video for " Losing Grip " there with Liz Friedlander as

962-609: The corresponding speaker series is presented as after-show talkbacks to discuss prominent themes, ideas, and topics in the plays. Several plays that have appeared in the Public LAB series have gone onto full-scale productions, including Tracey Scott Wilson 's The Good Negro , which ran at The Public in 2009, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson , which had a sold-out, thrice-extended off-Broadway run at The Public in spring 2010 and transferred to Broadway that fall. In 2011, Public LAB expanded to include Public LAB SHAKESPEARE, which

999-536: The first popular sound movie " The Jazz singer " (1927). 40°43′14.95″N 73°59′11.66″W  /  40.7208194°N 73.9865722°W  / 40.7208194; -73.9865722 The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City . Founded by Joseph Papp , The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers. Its first production

1036-534: The fourth- oldest surviving synagogue building in the United States . It was the largest synagogue in the United States at the time of its construction and is one of the few built in the Gothic Revival style. From 1849 to 1974, at various stages, the building has been used as a synagogue. and then, following vandalism , acquired by the government of New York City (1981), after which it was sold to

1073-475: The home of the Emerging Writers Group, which seeks to target playwrights at the earliest stages in their careers. The Emerging Writers Group is a component of The Public Writers Initiative. The Public also fosters Public Studio, a performance series dedicated to developing the works of new and emerging theater artists. Emerging playwrights get the opportunity to stage a piece somewhere between

1110-576: The interior of the synagogue as the backdrop for the cover art for the Wu-Tang Clan 's 1993 album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) . In 2014, the building was closed for fear that the balcony would collapse, and it did not reopen for nearly a year. Stanton Street Stanton Street largely carries a bike lane, a through lane, and a parking lane. It runs one block north of Rivington Street and one block south of Houston Street . The street

1147-455: The newly formed Landmarks Preservation Commission of New York City. In 2009, The Public began its "Going Public" campaign to raise funds for a major renovation of the historic building. Groundbreaking for the $ 35 million renovation occurred on March 9, 2010, with notables such as Liev Schreiber and Philip Seymour Hoffman in attendance. Plans included a renovation of Joe's Pub; the Pub went on

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1184-566: The series include Stephen Sondheim , Tony Kushner , Arianna Huffington , Alec Baldwin and Anne Hathaway . The Public hosts the annual Under the Radar Festival , a festival tracking new theater from around the world. Over the last 12 years, The Public's Under the Radar Festival (UTR) has presented over 194 companies from 40 countries. UTR has presented works by such artists as Elevator Repair Service , Gob Squad , Belarus Free Theatre , and Young Jean Lee . The Public serves as

1221-486: The synagogue building was abandoned and was vandalized. Jewish Spanish sculptor and painter Angel Orensanz purchased the property in 1986. He restored it and converted it into an art gallery and performance space, the Angel Orensanz Foundation for the Arts, which he operated along with his brother, Al. The building was designated an historic landmark by New York City in 1987. The Shul of New York,

1258-516: The third Jewish congregation in New York City, Congregation Ansche Chesed purchased the three lots upon which the synagogue was built, at 172 Norfolk Street (between Stanton Street and East Houston Street), on the Lower East Side of New York City in April 1849 for $ 10,500 (today $ 385,000). The lots had originally been part of Peter Stuyvesant 's estate. The synagogue building was designed by Eisenach (Germany)-born architect Alexander Saeltzer , who

1295-823: Was engaged in February 1849. Saeltzer also later designed the original Astor Library (now The Public Theater ) in 1851 and the Academy of Music on Astor Place in 1854. The synagogue's Gothic Revival style was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Cologne, Germany, and Friedrichswerdersche Kirche in Berlin. According to a 1987 report by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission , while Gothic architecture

1332-483: Was the musical Hair in 1967. Since Papp, the theatre has been led by JoAnne Akalaitis (1991–1993), and George C. Wolfe (1993–2004), and is currently under Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham . The Public's headquarters is located at 425 Lafayette Street in the former Astor Library in Lower Manhattan . The building contains five theater spaces, and Joe's Pub ,

1369-469: Was used by several Eastern European Orthodox Jewish congregations, which reconfigured the space to the more traditional orientation and removed the organ. These included Congregation Shaari Rachmim (1873–1886), The First Hungarian Congregation Ohab Zedek (1886–1921). and Sheveth Achim Anshe Slonim (1921–1974), the latter of whom called it Anshe Slonim Synagogue. By 1974, the Slonim community had dispersed, and

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