Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre

Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre (New York). The 299‐seat performance space housed in the same building as the larger Vivian Beaumont Theatre is Lincoln Center's Off‐Broadway venue. Architect Eero Saarinen and scenic designer Jo Mielziner designed the two theatres as nontraditional playhouses, and this more intimate, thrust‐stage auditorium is considered the better of the two spaces. Called the Forum Theatre when it opened in 1965, it was intended for experimental productions but for much of its early history it sat empty while financial and management problems reduced it to storage space. The Forum was renamed in 1973 after the donor Mrs. Samuel I. Newhouse and under Joseph Papp's management, it saw some powerful productions, such as Streamers (1976). The little playhouse found new life again in 1986 when theatre at Lincoln Center was revitalized, and several memorable productions have been presented at the Newhouse since.