West Village in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

38 Commerce Street

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012

1. 38 Commerce Street Marker

Inscription.
In 1924 Edna St. Vincent Millay and a group of theatre artists converted a box factory into what would become the Cherry Lane Theatre. Through the years, it has become a showcase for the early works of Edward Albee, Lanford Wilson, Harold Pinter, and Sam Shepard, and continues to nurture emerging artists. Acclaimed actress, Kim Hunter, 1922-2002, lived above this theatre with her playwright husband Robert Emmett, from 1954 until her death. Best known for creating the role of “Stella” in the Broadway and film version of “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Kim’s Academy Award-winning career spanned over 50 years on stage, screen, and television. She was a lifetime member of the BBC Block Association and a beloved citizen of Greenwich Village.

Erected 2003 by Bedford, Barrow, Commerce Block Ass’n.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1924.

Location. 40° 43.882′ N, 74° 0.324′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in West Village. Marker is on Commerce Street. This marker is located in Greenwich Village. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 38 Commerce Street, New York NY 10014, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker

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. 36 Commerce Street (a few steps from this marker); No. 48 Commerce Street (a few steps from this marker); Edna St. Vincent Millay (within shouting distance of this marker); Commerce Street (within shouting distance of this marker); 70 Bedford Street (within shouting distance of this marker); James Vandenburgh’s Home (within shouting distance of this marker); 81 Barrow Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Bedford Street (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manhattan.

Also see . . .
1. Cherry Lane Theatre History. Theatre website entry:
In 1924, a group of theater artists, colleagues of Edna St. Vincent Millay, commissioned famed scenic designer Cleon Throckmorton to convert the box factory into Cherry Lane Playhouse. (Submitted on July 6, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. Kim Hunter. Wikipedia biography (Submitted on July 8, 2012, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

3. From Brewery to Off-Broadway - 38 Commerce St, the Cherry Lane Theatre. "Daytonian in Manhattan" entry. (Submitted on March 15, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012

2. 38 Commerce Street Marker

The marker is to the left of the small tree.

Cherry Lane Theatre image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 20, 2012

3. Cherry Lane Theatre

Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire". image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Unknown, Unknown

4. Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire".

Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 574 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 6, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 4. submitted on April 7, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.