| José Quintero Theatre | |
| Address: | 534 West 42nd Street |
| City: | New York City |
| Country: | United States |
| Owner: | Angelina Fiordellisi |
| Capacity: | 93 |
| Type: | Off-off-Broadway |
| Yearsactive: | 1923-2006 |
| Demolished: | 2006 |
| Othernames: | Martin R. Kaufman Theatre; The Seven Sisters; Chicago City Limits Theatre; Sleepy Owl Club |
The José Quintero Theatre was an off-off-Broadway theater located in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. The 93-seat theatre existed inside a former brownstone house that was constructed in 1887.[1] In 1923 the building was converted to a nightclub, the Sleepy Owl Club, which operated until 1954.[1] The theatre was used as a comedy venue during the 1960s and 1970s.[1] In 1980 it was purchased by Linda Gelman and Paul Zuckerman of the improvisational theatre company Chicago City Limits, and opened as the Chicago City Limits Theatre that summer.[2] [3]
Producer Martin R. Kaufman purchased the theatre in 1987, and it operated as the Martin R. Kaufman Theatre until Kaufman's death in 1996.[4] The Kaufman Theatre opened with a celebrated revival of Cole Porter's Gay Divorce in March 1987; a production which earned actor Joaquin Romaguera a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.[5] The Kaufman Theatre was host to several plays, musicals, and cabaret events; including performances featuring Kaye Ballard, Tallulah Bankhead, Wesla Whitfield, Julie Wilson, Steve Ross, and Jo Sullivan Loesser.[1]
In September 1998 the theatre was purchased by actress and producer Angelina Fiordellisi who rechristened the theatre as The Seven Sisters.[1] After the death of Circle in the Square Theatre founder José Quintero, the theatre was renamed the José Quintero Theatre in his honor on May 2, 2000.[6] In 2006 the theatre was demolished and replaced by a neo-brutalist residential building.[7]