Live performances in the green

May 4, 3:41 PMDC Community Theaters ExaminerJamie Hardy

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Bill Morrison collection

New York is home to the latest movement in live theatre performances, making them a green experience. A historical theater is receiving a green face lift after years of being ignored abused and used as a porno studio. This theatre could go from forgotten to treasured. Green mania is sweeping the nation - people, business and now entertainment groups are making the green switch. Is this a fad like in the 70's? Or will the green trend continue will the force of the government behind it? Perhaps this theatre will go from novel to the norm.

New York's largest non-profit theater company, the Roundabout Theater Company, has renovated the Henry Miller’s Theater. The theater has a rich history, and a history of innovation as the first air conditioned theater in New York. The theater was built at the turn of the 20th century and had fallen into serious disrepair. Its rich history ignored it was turned into a porn studio in 1978 and rep-opened as a theater house in 1998. The renovations preserved the original Noe-Georgian facade of the theater. That was the only traditional renovation. The theater was renovated with local and recycled materials. It is the first to meet the requirements of the United States Green Building Council, and even contains waterless urinals in the mens room.

The Roundabout Theater Company had three theaters prior to leasing the Henry Miller's Theater. The Company owns Studio 54 and the American Airlines Theater and Off Broadway the Laura Pels Theater. They entered into a 20 year lease for the Henry Miller's Theater and will be showing "Bye Bye Birdie" when the theater opens.

Here is the rub. Many of our nations theaters are historical land marks and contain their own bits of history locked in their architecture, design and feel. Does it take something away from these old theaters to update them and make them green? If green theater renovation takes off - do the theaters suffer from new bathrooms lighting and design? Green is good for many reasons but is something lost when a theater house under goes renovations that take it out of the era it was built in? Don't get me wrong I think this is a wonderful project, reviving a forgotten theater and bringing it into public appreciation once again. However, with green being so popular these days it could spread to theaters that are not forgotten but loved for their historical beauty. In the move to green should the nation be leaving somethings behind?

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New York Times