In January 2013, the news hit that the Red Room, the 32-seat performance space/black-box theater on East Fourth Street, would close in March. The Horse Trade Theater Company had operated the space located upstairs from the Kraine Theatre and KGB Bar.
The building's landlord reportedly wanted to repurpose the space.
So here we our one year later… and there's a new Red Room — the Red Room Projects. Here's more about the space from the new operator's website:
After a complete makeover which pays homage to the history of the building it has called home, as well as the block and the neighborhood, the Red Room will soon open again: as a performance space, an art salon, a meeting room for artists, poets, authors, playwrights, philosophers and friends – to share their work, hold seminars, meetings and art classes; as a catering hall; and as a low key lounge for friends to meet with friends. The room itself has been a meeting hall, its purpose, its designation, since before 1922.
The space quietly debuted late last month… Ongoing shows now include a residency featuring Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra, a Jazz-Age dance orchestra on Thursday evenings. (Ticket info here.)
The Red Room Projects is also featuring the drawings of Christian Johnson.
In addition, as the Red Room Projects website points out, the Kraine Gallery, established at the address in 1983, will finally have a more viable exhibition space than the hallway corridor to the women's bathroom.
The building went up in 1838 … and, in its history, served as the headquarters for the Woman's Aid Society and The Ukrainian Labor Home.
Previously on EV Grieve:
[Updated] Report: The Red Room to close on East 4th Street
I find it interesting that news that in any way remotely confirms some people fervent prejudice/wish that the end is nigh and that the EV is doomed to be a 7 Eleven dominated, soul crushing neighborhood bereft of idiosyncrasy and creativity gets loads of comments.
ReplyDeleteAny news like this that demonstrates there's still room for people to try to do interesting things and are interesting additions to the neighborhood is pretty much ignored.
haven't the foggiest idea of what their business model is or if they have a patron or patron and how they will keep it going, but bravo to them for bring something with character and panache to the EV.
Come out on Saturday nights for improvised jazz with The Seth Myers Trio. Always very special guest vocalists. The Red Room is an ideal performance space acoustically, aesthetically, and artistically. So easy to have a good time.
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