Actors Studio

 theatre, interesting place, drama / theatre school

1-story Greek-revival theater/commercial building originally completed in 1858 as the Seventh Associate Presbyterian Church. The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theater directors and playwrights. It was founded on October 5, 1947, by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis, who provided training for actors who were members. The Studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method acting, and moved to its present location here in 1955.

The facade is clad in red-painted brick with a raised basement. Its three bays are defined by flat brick pilasters with stone Tuscan capitals. The pilasters support a simple entablature topped by a low, undecorated pediment. In the center bay, a high stone stoop leads to an entrance with double paneled wooden doors. They are topped by a paneled wood transom and a flush stone lintel. Tall windows in each of the side bays retain their original multipane, double-hung wood sash. Small, multipane wood sash windows cap each tall window and are separated from them by a small paneled stone spandrel. Above the doorway is a panel bearing the insignia of the Actors Studio.

A stone water table distinguished the basement from the main floor. A large window opening is located on each side of the stoop, each containing paired 4-over-4 windows. These and all the windows are fronted by modern, white-painted metal grilles. The areaway to the east of the stoop has been paved with concrete while that to the west is planted with low shrubbery. A doorway is located under the stoop.

To the east of the main section of the church is a small brick addition with a modern steel doorway on the ground floor and a small window above. This section was built in 1955 to house a stairway.

daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/05/actors-studio-43...
hdc.org/buildings/actors-studio/