Remembering the Lafayette, NYC's first integrated theater
When you think of a theater in Harlem, the Apollo might be the first name that comes to mind. But before Apollo, there was the Lafayette Theatre. Opened in 1912, it is believed to be the first major New York City theater to desegregate, just a year after its opening.
Known as "The House Beautiful," the venue gave African American theatergoers a chance to enjoy first-class theater up close and personal, rather than being forced to sit in the back or balcony.
"They couldn't go downtown to see theater because they didn't let them in," said Vanessa Jo Bradley, the founder of Save Harlem Now!, a preservation group that helped get the neighborhood where the theater once stood designated as a historic district. "The indignity of being told where they had to sit."
In 1936, the theater famously presented legendary Hollywood director Orson Welles' adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth." "Voodoo Macbeth," as it became known, was set in the Caribbean with a 150-member all-Black cast.
"So many of the people who were entertainers, lyricists, band leaders and actors all lived in this area because of the Lafayette Theatre," added Bradley.
Despite its history, the theater was torn down in 2013 to make way for an apartment building called "The Lafayette." At the unveiling of historic district markers for the neighborhood in February, Bradley expressed regret that Save Harlem Now! was not organized enough in time to save the theater.
"When we were originally trying to get this area designated, we wanted to name it the Lafayette Theatre Historic District," Bradley said. "When we lose [these places], we're losing part of us."
It would eventually be named the Central Harlem – West 130th-132nd Streets Historic District.
Lafayette's legacy of unique and diverse storytelling lives on through other Harlem theater companies, like The Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH).
"Everything that is happening right now has happened before, and artists of particular eras have dealt with these issues," said Ty Jones, of CTH.
Jones began with CTH as an actor in 2003 and is now its Producing Artistic Director. His leadership is credited with helping pull the company from the brink of closure in the aftermath of the 2008 recession. He says financial strain is still one of the biggest challenges facing modern theater companies.
"Last year, the [National Endowment for the Arts] terminated our grant, and we don't have a wealthy donor base. We don't have a corporate sponsor. So, I had to go to the people," Jones said. "Within a week, we had about 1,000 donations, and we more than covered what was terminated by the NEA."
Jones says this is proof that communities of all colors, and especially Black and brown communities, still care about the arts in their own neighborhood. CTH offers year-round programming and will present the Shakespearean tragedy "Othello" in the summer of July 2026 at Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park.
"I am absolutely intentional about putting Black folks and people of color on that stage." Jones said. "But the truth is, we can do classic works just like anybody else. And when we do it, I'm someone who believes when you have excellent art up there, no matter who comes in, your hearts begin to beat in sync."
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