A24's First Venue: Leroy Street Studio Renovates Cherry Lane Theatre

Production company A24 has opened its first brick-and-mortar venue, the historic Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City's West Village, following a comprehensive renovation by Leroy Street Studio (LSS). A24 purchased the theatre in 2023, intending to preserve its live-theatre status and name. The renovation, completed with restaurateur Zeb Stewart, transformed the building into a dual-purpose space for live performances and film screenings. The main stage now features a giant screening rig that descends from the ceiling, converting the theatre into a movie house. The project also added Wild Cherry, a speakeasy-style restaurant run by the team behind Frenchette, with interior design by Stewart. LSS acted as design-build studio, focusing on stripping back a 2000s renovation to reveal original features like brick walls and repainting the iconic red doors with the original painter. The theatre, which dates to the 1830s and became a theatre in 1924, links two brick buildings on Commerce Street. The renovation included a box office flowing into a lobby concession stand with ocean blue tile, and a restaurant concealed behind a deep red curtain with a low scalloped ceiling designed to block sound from residential units above. The venue opened last year, gradually rolling out performances and screenings, including the play 'Weer'. This marks A24's first physical location, joining other companies investing in live-performance venues. Photography by Brian Ferry.