Theatre Scholar Mary Henderson will discuss the history of New York's Bowery as a theater district on May 11 at 6:30 PM, as part of the New York Public Library of the Performing Arts's 1998-99 season of free public programs. The event will take place in the Great Hall of Greenwich Village's Cooper Union (7 E. 7th St.), and admission is free. Before Times Square, before Madison Square and Union Square, the Bowery was New York's theatrical center. During the mid-19th century, theaters lined the street, none more important than the Bowery Theatre, which was a favorite haunt of American tragedian Edwin Forrest and suffered several fires before finally closing in 1878.
For information on the series, call (212) 870-1630.
-- By Robert Simonson
