From it’s foundation as a non- profit venture in 1996 through the announcement of its closing in 2010, Cherry Lane Theatre flourished and became much more than New York’s longest running off- Broadway playhouse under new artistic director and co- founder Angelina Fiordellisi. With numerous impressive new programs, Cherry Lane successfully fostered the growth of new playwrights and reignited itself as an integral part of the Greenwich Village Community. Cherry Lane Theatre serves as an experimental lab for the development of new American works and a home for groundbreaking productions of both new and classic theater of the highest caliber.
In December of 2010, Fiordellisi announced her resignation. Cherry Lane Theatre is now for sale. Fiordellisi said, “I feel that we can no longer do theater for the sake of the art form. We have to adhere to the formula of having a film star in our productions to sell tickets because it’s so financially prohibitive. I don’t want to do theater like that.” It is true that small companies and off- Broadway houses are finding it increasingly difficult to compete with the pizazz and allure of Broadway spectaculars, especially as they implement more technological nuances to captivate audiences in this age of technology. It is uncertain what the future holds for Cherry Lane Theatre. This year, companies such as Barefoot Theatre Company are utilizing the stages, but there have been no public developments in the sale of the playhouse.
