Off-off-Broadway

Off-off-Broadway theaters are small places in New York City with fewer than 100 seats. They are smaller than both Broadway and off-Broadway theaters. These theaters started in 1958 to offer a different kind of theater from the usual ones. They are famous for trying new and creative types of plays and shows. Even though some of these shows have changed over time, they are still a big part of theater history.

History

The off-off-Broadway movement began in 1958. It started as a way to move away from big, commercial theaters. It was a place for new and creative plays. One of the first places for these plays was a coffeehouse in Greenwich Village called the Caffe Cino. The person who ran it liked actors and playwrights and let them perform without reading their plays first.

Over time, off-off-Broadway changed and started to look more like off-Broadway theaters. Some off-off-Broadway plays can be shown in special events called Equity Showcase productions, where actors can perform under certain rules.

In 1964, off-off-Broadway plays could be considered for the Obie Awards, and in 1974, the Drama Desk Awards began to include them too. Since 2005, the New York Innovative Theatre Awards have honored the best off-off-Broadway theater work each year.