On Monday August 6, artists F. Murray Abraham, Arin Arbus, Zoe Caldwell, Ned Eisenberg, Dana Ivey, and Michael Rogers joined the Theatre’s Founding Artistic Director Jeffrey Horowitz, Managing Director Dorothy Ryan, and members of Theatre’s Board and staff to celebrate the “Topping Out” of our new theatre in the Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. Also on hand were Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Deputy Commissioner of Cultural Affairs Margaret Morton, architect Hugh Hardy and members of the teams from H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and F.J. Sciame Construction Company.
The Topping Out Ceremony celebrates the placement of the final steel beam in the building and pays tribute to the people who have literally made the building rise to this point in its construction – the steel and masonry workers who lay each beam and brick. The Theatre saluted Local 361 Ironworkers, the masons of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, and all the other unions associated with construction of the building.
As is the custom, the Theatre treated the construction workers to a buffet lunch. Guests toured the inside of the building and were treated to a preview of the intimate 299-seat theatre’s interior. The Wall Street Journal reported on the Theatre in that day’s paper, and News 12 and NY1 were on site to document the celebrations.
Construction on the Theatre’s first home will be completed in the spring of 2013 and its first production, directed by Julie Taymor, will open that fall. Please click here for more great photos from the event.
Pictured above, from L to R: Founding Artistic Director Jeffrey Horowitz and Associate Artistic Director Arin Arbus with artists Zoe Caldwell, F. Murray Abraham, Ned Eisenberg, Michael Rogers, Board Member Merle Debuskey, and Casting Director Deborah Brown.