Theatre for a New Audience in New York – History, Seating Chart & Tickets

Address, opening, capacity of Theatre for a New Audience

Basic Information about the Theatre for a New Audience in NYC

Seating Chart of Theatre for a New Audience

The Theatre for a New Audience has a seating capacity of 299 seats.

Directions to Theatre for a New Audience

Access to Theatre for a New Audience are most commonly by taking the New York City Subway (MTA).

The area around the theatre becomes very crowded close to showtime, so whether you are arriving by subway or taxi, please allow extra time to reach the venue.

Map, location of Theatre for a New Audience

Here is the map of the Theatre for a New Audience.

Best hotels near the Theatre for a New Audience

Discover the best hotels near the Theatre for a New Audience. Stay within walking distance of Broadway and enjoy easy access to shows, restaurants, and attractions.

History of Theatre for a New Audience

A theater dedicated to Shakespeare’s plays

Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) was founded in 1979 by artistic director Jeffrey Horowitz.

With the mission of presenting works rooted in English Renaissance drama, especially the plays of William Shakespeare, the company has produced and presented more than 60 productions to date. While Shakespeare remains at its heart, TFANA also stages classic works and contemporary Off-Broadway productions. The theater is widely recognized by its initials, TFANA.

Jeffrey Horowitz, the founder, originally began his career as an actor, performing on Broadway and Off-Broadway stages. Inspired by institutions such as “Shakespeare in the Park” and the Vivian Beaumont Theater, he established Theatre for a New Audience in 1979 to create a dedicated home for Shakespeare’s plays in New York.

Architectural style of Theatre for a New Audience

Built in the tradition of the Elizabethan theater

In 2013, Theatre for a New Audience moved into the newly built Polonsky Shakespeare Center in Brooklyn.

The Polonsky Shakespeare Center was designed by architect Hugh Hardy and H3, with an investment of $34 million. In addition to the main stage, the complex includes rehearsal studios and performance spaces.

The center is located near other major cultural venues such as the Barclays Center and the Mark Morris Dance Center, making it the first major New York arts complex dedicated to classical theater since the Vivian Beaumont Theater was built in the 1960s.

The main stage of Theatre for a New Audience, also called the Samuel H. Scripps Mainstage, was modeled after the Dorfman Theatre in London. Its design draws on the tradition of the Elizabethan theater, where the audience surrounds the stage, bringing performers and spectators closer together.

Unlike most Broadway houses, which use the traditional proscenium arch to separate the stage from the audience, TFANA was designed in a modern interpretation of Elizabethan theater architecture, creating an intimate and immersive theatrical experience.

• Learn more about the proscenium arch >>

Theatre for a New Audience and Shakespeare

Producing Shakespeare’s most iconic plays

When TFANA reopened in 2014 at its new Brooklyn home, it launched with a production of Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Directed by Julie Taymor; best known for her Tony Award-winning work on the Broadway hit The Lion King, the production became an immediate sensation, selling out performances and earning wide acclaim.

Since then, TFANA has staged many of Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays, including the great tragedies Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear, as well as beloved works such as Romeo and Juliet and The Merchant of Venice.

William Shakespeare

Widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, William Shakespeare was a playwright of the English Renaissance whose works defined the era. The term English Renaissance drama refers to plays written and performed in England during the Renaissance until the closing of the theaters in 1642. Shakespeare’s legacy lies in his ability to capture the complexity of human psychology, leaving behind masterpieces that continue to resonate centuries later.

His plays remain a vital influence on modern theater, including on Broadway. One notable example is the immersive theater piece Sleep No More, inspired by Macbeth, which has captivated New York audiences since 2011.

• Learn more about Sleep No More >>

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