BY TEQUILA MINSKY | Attesting to the mark that the late Joseph Papp made at The Public Theater and beyond, the intersection of Lafayette St. and Astor Place was co-named Joseph Papp Way on Dec. 1.
The event coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Public, which Papp founded.
Three hundred fifty signatures were collected, from theater members, community organizations, local businesses and residents — including 170 from Community Board 2 — in support of the sign honoring Papp’s contribution to the neighborhood, his long-standing residency and successful restoration of a landmarked building, in addition to his theatrical legacy, bringing new playwrights, actors and producers to The Public Theater.
C.B. 2’s requirement for a street co-naming is that the individual must have contributed directly to the community. To this effect, the C.B. 2 resolution notes that, in 1966, Papp acquired and revitalized as The Public Theater the severely deteriorated Astor Library on Lafayette St.
This became the first building to be saved from demolition under New York City’s new Landmarks Law. The Public became the first successful model of “adaptive reuse” as an approach to saving historic buildings.
The old library was slated for development as a high-rise apartment building. At the time, Ada Louise Huxtable, The New York Times’s architecture critic, called the library’s rescue from the wrecking ball “the miracle on Lafayette Street.”
The Public was founded by Papp in 1954 as the New York Shakespeare Festival. In 1957, he was granted the use of Central Park to mount free productions of Shakespeare plays, which continue there to this day after his death at age 70 in 1991.
The Public Theater’s permanent home in the East Village at 425 Lafayette St. opened its doors for the first time in October 1967 with the groundbreaking new musical “Hair.”
On a cool, sunny late autumn morning last Friday, community members, City Councilmember Rosie Mendez and representatives of 0other elected officials gathered with The Public Theater staff and board members, along with Papp’s wife Gail and other family members for the co-naming.
“Joe Papp changed the life of New Yorkers forever, creating a beloved institution devoted to making the life of our culture inclusive,” said Oskar Eustis, the theater’s artistic director “It is thrilling that the city of New York will recognize him forever by co-naming this street for him.”
Also making remarks before the sign’s unveiling were Mendez and Gail Papp; Patrick Willingham, The Public’s executive director; Tom Finkelpearl, commissioner of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs, followed by a reception inside the historic building.
