The Theater Center

The Theater Center is an off-Broadway theater on 50th Street in Manhattan, New York City. It has two stages.

History

The complex was built by actress and producer Catherine Russell in partnership with Snapple, marking Off-Broadway's first such corporate sponsorship. It opened as the Snapple Theater Center on May 22, 2006, with Wendy Kaufman, "the Snapple Lady," ceremonially lighting the marquee. In May 2016, the theater dropped "Snapple" from its name and became "The Theater Center".

Facilities

The Theater Center is a state of the art entertainment center consisting of two theaters with a total seating capacity of 398, rehearsal studios, contemporary lobbies, WiFi, two bars with cabaret-style seating and two merchandise stands. There are two stages, the Anne L. Bernstein Theater and the Jerry Orbach Theater. Each thater seats 199 people.

Jerry Orbach Theater

A revival of The Fantasticks was first mounted here in summer 2007. That same year, the space was named in honor of actor Jerry Orbach, who starred as El Gallo in that show's original production in 1960. The Fantasticks closed in June 2017.
Various other productions came to the Jerry Orbach thereafter.

Anne L. Bernstein Theater

Long-running play Perfect Crime, starring Catherine Russell, transferred to the Theater Center upon the facility's opening in 2006.
In 2012, the space was named for producer Anne L. Bernstein.
In April 2021, Perfect Crime was the first live stage production in New York City to receive approval from Actors' Equity to resume performances after theatres were shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January, 2022, thieves stole copper pipes from the building, disabling the plumbing and heating and necessitating the cancellation of twelve performances of Perfect Crime. , Perfect Crime continues its run in the space.