// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Gallery Players go to the doctor? They were feeling a little framed.

Gallery Players is a long-running community theatre which operates at its 99-seat blackbox theater at 199 14th Street, at the corner of 4th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. They are currently in their 60th season, with each season presenting about 6 or more productions. Gallery is committed to the production of classic and contemporary plays and musicals as well as the premieres of new works. Among its famous alumni are founding member Harvey Fierstein; Broadway regulars Nancy Anderson, Jeffry Denman, and Dierdre Goodwin; New York theater personality Seth Rudetsky; and many others.

Early years and location moves

In 1967, founder Bruce Wyatt relocated from New Orleans to Brooklyn, bringing the concept of his New Orleans theater organization with him, along with the name The Gallery Players. The first Brooklyn incarnation was introduced in Flatbush, relocating a year later to the St. Paul's Church at St. John's Place and 7th Avenue in Park Slope. In 1974 they moved again to the Old First Church at Carroll Street and 7th Avenue. They remained at the Old First Church until 1984, at which time they moved to the Berkeley-Carroll School, before a period of two years during which the group had no home. 1989-1990 was The Gallery Players' first season at 199 14th Street in Park Slope, the venue that came to be the group's permanent home, still operational today. This debut season produced Man of La Mancha, Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, The Dining Room, Nuts, The Boys Next Door, and a double bill of Christopher Durang's one-act plays The Actor's Nightmare, and Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You.

Community theater

In 1978 The Gallery Players became an Equity Showcase house, inviting professional actors to use the Gallery performances as an opportunity to display and hone their skills. Initially focusing on "barebones" black box presentations, by the time of their pivotal production of Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a full stage had been installed. They are known for producing the first New York revivals of work first seen in Broadway and Off-Broadway venues. Gallery Players now presents a season of 6 play and musicals. In its 60 season run, over 156 plays and musicals have received their world premiere productions at Gallery Players.

Notable premieres

• Animal Fair
• J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit
• Ivan the Fool
• Merry-Go-Roundelay
• Nehemiah Hotep's Raisin Farm
• Sign on the Dotted Line
• Spoon River: The Musical

Notable alumni

• Manoel Felciano
• Harvey Fierstein (founding member)
• Deirdre Goodwin
• Garrett Long
• John Rando
• Brian Charles Rooney
• Seth Rudetsky
• Ray Virta

Community outreach & festivals

Leading up to the full productions, the Black Box Festival provides a workshop environment, facilitating readings of the new works and assisting the playwrights with the revising and expanding of their new plays. Gallery Players offers the use of its auditorium space to the Silas B. Dutcher School and P.S. 124 in Park Slope, for school events and performances, as well as donating its facility to other theatrical organizations such as Piper Theatre, Puppetworks, and Treasure Trunk Theatre.