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In 1927, the Shuberts offered to name their newest theatre for Ethel Barrymore if she agreed to star in its first production. She accepted, and the Barrymore Theatre, designed by Herbert J. Krapp, opened December 20, 1928. The Barrymore was the last Broadway venue built prior to the Depression, and it remains one of the few theatres that has never changed name or owner.
Currently playing in the theatre is Matthew Lopez's The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry.
Built in 1928, The Ethel Barrymore Theatre opened as a venue in which the theatre’s namesake could star, becoming the last Broadway theatre the Shuberts created.
Ethel Barrymore Theatre box office
Ethel Barrymore portrait
Designed by Herbert J. Krapp with more than 1,000 seats (presently 1,096), the Barrymore continues to be an ideal venue for dramas, comedies, and intimate musicals.
The theatre opened with a production of Gregorio Martinez Sierra’s The Kingdom of God, a religious play in which critic Heywood Broun described Ethel Barrymore’s performance as “the most moving piece of acting I have ever seen in the theatre.”
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
In addition to functioning as a venue for Barrymore to perform, the stage also saw the Broadway debuts of the acting legend's children, Ethel Barrymore Colt in 1930’s His Majesty’s Car and John Drew Colt in the revival of The School for Scandal.
Throughout its history, the Barrymore flourished, ushering in the Broadway debuts of iconic works such as Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun.
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre auditorium
Ethel Barrymore Theatre lounge
Ethel Barrymore portrait
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is currently the home of the Tony Award-winning production of The Band’s Visit, which opened November 9, 2017.
