The Connelly Theater

Charming theater about 150 years old.
The stage has original tin framing with two masks up top, and the seating is bleacher style.
It can be charming and intimate for the right show.

I can only attest to being the viewer and not the performer, but I did see a friend’s production of «Romeo & Juliet» and was pleased. The seating was tiered, but we were essentially sitting in plain black office chairs. The stage itself was well lit and easy to use. The acoustics varied; the actors onstage were as clear as a bell, but the occasional background music played between certain scenes was barely audible in comparison. The bathrooms? Oy! A small three-​stalled unisex bathroom was almost a literal pain in the ass to get around as you squeezed past people and had the door smack you straight on the bum. Ha!
Regardless, it’s a theater with a history behind it, and it certainly served this production quite well.

I saw the revival of «Moose Murders» there in January 2013. It’s a lovely old theater, small (99 seats), and probably a re-​purposed Lower East Side opera house that presented opera and Yiddish theater to immigrant residents. It’s affiliated with a school that serves the urban poor. It was re-​opened in 1997 after being shuttered for a decade. I’d love to find a history of the theater. The fact that it still exists amidst the upward mobile disruption of the ABC area is remarkable.

Love this little theatre.

Went there in November of 2011 to see an Asian American play entitled «The Sugarhouse at the Edge of the Wilderness.» The play was not the best, but I’m here to discuss the theatre. It looks pretty small from the outside. Nothing extravagant, not really aesthetic or eye-​catching. Once you’re inside there’s only one bathroom for both men and women. That wouldn’t be so bad if there was only one stall, but there are several. You’d have to hope no one’s in there if you need to use it-​otherwise, discomfort/​embarassment will ensue.
I haven’t seen the whole place, it’s very community center-​esque, stylistically. I was gestated by the workers toward a door, behind which a small– very small theatre room stood. The seats were like bleachers– it felt as if it’s an empty room with nothing but a small stage. The seats were all attatched and they looked like one big mobile structure that can be installed anywhere. The thinng even moved, so I am infering it is removable and mobile. So basically, it made for a very cheap atmosphere-​bear in mind though, that that was only one of the theatres that make up the Connelly theatre. I didn’t go beond where the ushers sat.
The tickets were reasonab;y priced-​$ 25 dollars; I paid $ 14 being that I’m a collage student. Outside the venue, there are pamphlets and posters up informing theatre-​lovers of the upcoming events-​all of which look reasonably priced. It depends what you’re interested in given that they have all sorts of theatre and musical events.
Not the most appealing theatre, aesthetiacally and structurally, but it’s worth the trip if you want to see a play.

I am sort of sad that there is only one review for this place. This funky theater is in the heart of the East Village on e 4^th between Ave A and B. I came to see the Freedom Club just this past weekend and was happy to find a theater so close to where I live.
What’s so great about this small theater is that it’s a great space and tickets are affordable. You chose the amount you would like to pay for your ticket. Support the arts and support a theater that is accessible to everyone!

Great theater space…
A friend of mine, involved with the «Keen Company», invited me to their performance of ‘Children of a Lesser God’ at this theare.
It was a ways away from where we were staying and it was well worth the chilly walk! The performace itself was fantastic (I suppose, what do you expect– it’s NYC theatre, in fact!) and the theater itself was one of those ‘black box’ theatres where the audience sits bleacher-​style.
That night they were hosting a group of students from local schools, and afterwards there was an opportunity to talk to the cast– very, very cool.
Right across the street there’s a wine/​cheese place that’s perfect for after-​theatre, but it was so dark in there that I never got the name or the street address…