Henry Miller’s Theatre

Henry Miller’s Theatre, now named the Stephen Sondheim Theater, has a long and storied history dating back over 100 years. Henry Miller, born in London in 1860, was one of early 20th century theatre’s best-known figures. In 1918, Henry Miller opened his own 950-seat theatre, designed by the architects Allen, Ingalls & Hoffman.

The theatre was home to many historic productions over the course of four decades including La La Lucille (1919), The Vortex (1925), Our Town (1938), The Cocktail Party (1950), and Witness for the Prosecution (1954). By the late 1950s the theatre’s financial prospects began to decline and it was sold multiple times, becoming an adult movie theatre and a disco club until its revival in the late 1990s.

In 2004 the theatre was closed for the construction of the Bank of America Tower. The landmarked facade was restored to its historic appearance and the interior was reimagined by Cook + Fox Architects as model of sustainable architecture. Herter Design Group was tasked with designing an exhibit to ensure that the legacy of the theatre lives on. Theatergoers and passersby can see both the historic facade and the exhibit (from afar) from the same vantage point on West 43rd Street.

The exhibit is inspired by the flowing forms and layered depth of theatre curtains, providing a counterpoint to the surrounding orthogonal grid of the architecture. Bold large scale imagery and Playbill duotone images allow for an immediate impression when walking while the timeline provides detailed information for those that choose to stop and read. The scale is grand; commensurate with the Times Square environment in which it is situated.

Client: The Durst Organization
Fabricator: Spectrum on Broadway
Photography: David Lamb