Theater District in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Mercury Theatre
Photographed By Larry Gertner, October 18, 2018
1. Mercury Theatre Marker
"Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus...
-William Shakespeare
On this site in 1937, legendary American actor-writer-producer-director Orson Welles founded the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman. Here Welles directed groundbreaking productions of Julius Caesar, The Shoemaker's Holiday, Heartbreak House, and Danton's Death. Wells and the Mercury would go on to make history with The War of the Worlds broadcast and Citizen Kane. Astonishingly, he would accomplish all this by his 26th birthday.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 40° 45.269′ N, 73° 59.121′ W. Marker was in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It was in the Theater District. Marker was on West 46th Street near Sixth Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 5 Bryant Park, New York NY 10036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. The Garment District Mural (within shouting distance of this marker); Andrada (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Benito Juarez (about 300 feet away); Our Story
this page online
Also see . . . Mercury Theatre (Wikipedia). (Submitted on October 18, 2018.)
Additional commentary.
1. Status
This plaque has been removed.
— Submitted January 8, 2022, by Erik Lander of Brooklyn, New York.
Photographed By Larry Gertner, October 18, 2018
2. Mercury Theatre Marker
The marker is to the left of the 5 Bryant Park entry.
Carl Van Vechten (photo courtesy of the Libary of Congress), March 1, 1937
3. Portrait of Orson Welles
Mercury Theatre (courtesy of the New York Public Library), 1937
4. Playbill for The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Production by Orson Welles. Music by Marc Blitzstein. Starring Joseph Holland, George Coulouris, and Joseph Cotten.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 272 times since then and 37 times this year. Last updated on October 19, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on October 18, 2018. 4. submitted on October 18, 2018, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
