Rattlestick Theater’s West Village venue, located at 224 Waverly Place, will be renamed The Terrence McNally Theater, honoring the late Tony-winning prolific playwright. The building is currently undergoing renovations to improve the space and increase accessibility, with the installation of an elevator, new bathrooms, expanded dressing rooms, sound-proof flooring and windows, and an expanded lobby and ticket counter. The official theatre dedication will happen later this year.
“As the first transgender person to run a theatre in New York, it is the honor of a lifetime to name the Rattlestick building for Terrence McNally, a towering artist and a gay icon of the American Theater…Terrence was with Rattlestick from the start, and for 32 years this theatre company has offered a downtown refuge for artists seeking a space that welcomes them on their own terms. Terrence’s community values and keen eye for talent are alive in the DNA of this company that has launched so many powerhouse careers over the last three decades,” said Artistic Director Will Davis in a statement.
The theatre renaming seeks to honor and deepen the relationship between the Terrence McNally Foundation and Rattlestick, which has been the home of the Terrence McNally New Works Incubator since 2023. Serving as a continuation of McNally’s legacy of mentorship, the New Works Incubator is a multi-pronged program designed to support early-career playwrights by giving them time and space to develop their work, professional mentorship with established playwrights, and access to the community of artists and work being developed at Rattlestick and Tom Kirdahy Productions.
Following the completion of the $5.3 million renovation this fall, the theatre will also transform into a flexible performance space that can be reshaped for each show, and will also be capable of hosting more community events and celebrations.
“Rattlestick Theater has always been a place where playwrights begin—where a writer with something to say finds the stage, the collaborators, and the courage to say it,” said producer Tom Kirdahy, McNally’s husband, in a statement. “That is precisely the work Terrence believed in most deeply. He knew that American theater would only be as vital as the new writers we invested in, and he gave that belief everything he had. Naming this theater after Terrence McNally is not just a tribute to what he accomplished — it is a commitment to what he stood for. This is where tomorrow’s playwrights begin.”
The renovation project is supported by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council/Borough President. It is also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Founded in 1994, Rattlestick Theater has served a mission of producing diverse, provocative, and theatrically expansive new work to foster the future voices of the American theatre. From its historic West Village theatre, Rattlestick has produced the first plays and early works of some of today’s leading voices in playwriting.