Off-Off-Broadway Theater 'The Flea' Opens New Venue In TriBeCa

TRIBECA, NY — The popular off-off-Broadway theater The Flea is getting is getting a new home in TriBeCa.

The Flea was first formed in 1996 as a downtown space meant to foster new and emerging artists. Now, for the first time, the theater company has purchased its own building, opening up its new home at 20 Thomas St. after years of renting space just a few blocks away. The theater company first purchased the space for $5.25 million in 2009, according to city documents, and has spent years fundraising in order to get the nonprofit up and running.

The New York Times took an early look at the space, which has three theaters, all of them named after famous alums of the company. The "Siggy" takes it name from actor Sigourney Weaver, the "Pete" after the late playwright A. R. Gurney, and the "Sam" named for the agent Sam Cohn, according to the Times.

The Flea's mission, to create "a joyful hell in a small space," has allowed the company to become known as a space where artists can produce even the most unusual of conceits to the stage. One of the company's most famous works "The Guys" received critical acclaim after it debuted in the wake of 9/11. The play, which looked at the city following the 2001 terrorist attacks, played for 13 months to a sold-out theater, according to The Flea's website. The show's rotating cast included renowned actors such as Sigourney Weaver, Bill Murray, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Bill Irwin, Carol Kane, Amy Irving, and Anthony La Paglia.

"The idea that the tiny little Flea is going to have its own building and three theaters — it’s just lovely," Jim Simpson, the company's former artistic director, told the Times. "Off Off Broadway is the only place that says, ‘Yeah, you can do a show about whatever.’ It’s the place where young people get their start, and where someone like Pete Gurney can go back when they want to try out ideas that maybe were not commercially viable."

The Flea's new home which will celebrate a grand opening on Sept. 28. The first play to debut in the new space "Inanimate," opened last week. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Image via Ciara McCarthy / Patch