The Public Theater Renames Theater in Honor of Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel

The Public Theater has revealed that the Anspacher Theater, one of five theaters located at its flagship on Astor Place, will be renamed the Barbaralee Theater in recognition of generous support from the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation. This transformative gift will support significant renovation of the historic theater space and reflects Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel’s legacy as a visionary public servant, a defender of New York’s cultural sector and historic architecture, and a lifelong champion of America’s artistic institutions.

Renovation plans are currently underway with the goal of ensuring the new Barbaralee Theater remains a space for extraordinary theater best able to serve all of our artists and audiences. The first production in the newly renamed Barbaralee Theater will be the world premiere production of Anna Ziegler’s Antigone (This Play I Read in High School), a take on Sophocles’ classic with direction by Tyne Rafaeli.

“The Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation admires the commitment, professionalism, and inclusive outreach of The Public Theater,” said Dr. Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel. “This historic building has always served the community—first as a library, then a resettlement house for immigrants and refugees, and now as a home for innovative and engaging theater. This new project brings together several ideas that are important to both the Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation and The Public—preserving the multiple histories of New York City while enhancing its cultural life. The rich and multiple pasts of The Public Theater add resonance to our shared goals to preserve and improve it, and to ensure that The Public continues to play its groundbreaking role in New York City theater.”

The Public Theater was founded on the belief that culture belongs to everyone. Throughout her lifetime of public service, Dr. Diamonstein-Spielvogel has embodied that belief through her extraordinary leadership across public life advancing cultural policy, advocating for landmark preservation, and supporting generations of artists, institutions, and civic projects that define our national identity. Her dedication to public service is a testament to the idea that the arts are not a luxury; they are a necessity of democratic life.

“It is impossible to look at New York’s cultural landscape without seeing Barbaralee’s fingerprints all over it,” said Patrick Willingham, Executive Director of The Public Theater. “She has dedicated her life to preserving the beauty, history, and humanity of this city. Her generosity to The Public strengthens not just our stages, but our mission to build a theater that truly belongs to everyone.”

The Public Theater’s headquarters, located at 425 Lafayette St, was originally the Astor Library which opened in 1854 as the first free reference library in the United States. The building exists as both a New York City Landmark (designated 1965) and on the National Register of Historic Places (designated 1970). 

In addition to funding from the naming gift, the renovation of the Barbaralee Theater will be made possible through a generous allocation of $11,150,000 from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City Council and Manhattan Borough president. The Public Theater will also receive a $500,000 grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior to stabilize and restore the original skylight and historic plaster adorning the theater.