The Players (club)

Infobox nrhp
name = The Players
nrhp_type = nhl

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caption =
location = 16 Gramercy Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York
lat_degrees = 40 | lat_minutes = 44 | lat_seconds = 15.01 | lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 73 | long_minutes = 59 | long_seconds = 13.41 | long_direction = W
area =
built =1844
architect = Stanford White (1888 renovations) [ [http://www.nr.nps.gov/writeups/66000549.nl.pdf NL Writeup] ]
architecture =Renaissance
designated= December 29, 1962 cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=395&ResourceType=Building
title=The Players|date=2007-09-11|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = October 15, 1966cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
refnum = 66000549
mpsub =
governing_body =Private

The Players, sometimes called the Players Club, is a social club founded in New York City by the famed 19th century Shakespearean actor Edwin Booth, who purchased a magnificent 1847 mansion located at 16 Gramercy Park. During his lifetime, he reserved an upper floor for his home, turning the rest of the building over to the Clubhouse. Its interior and part of its exterior was designed by famed architect Stanford White. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962.,cite web|url=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000549.pdf "The Players", May 30, 1975, by Richard Greenwood] |267 KB|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination|date=1975-05-30|publisher=National Park Service] ,cite web|url=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/66000549.pdf The Players--Accompanying 2 photos, exterior, from 1975.] |593 KB|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination|date=1975-05-30|publisher=National Park Service]

In 1989, women were invited to become fully participating members. The Players still maintains its entryway gaslights, among the few remaining examples in New York City.

Reasons for founding

On April 14, 1865, Edwin's younger brother John Wilkes, a popular actor, assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, after which the life of his family, and all actors, changed. Understandably, they found themselves despised by the society of the time. Perhaps inspired by London's Garrick Club, Booth established a social club which would bring actors into contact with men of different professions such as industrialists, writers and other creative artists. The building was completely redesigned, furnished, equipped and decorated with Booth's personal possessions. When ready, a series of meetings was held, and a small group of founding fathers turned the place over to newly invited members in a grand ceremony on December 31, 1888. Thus The Players was born. The word "club" does not appear in the club's official name. In the title papers, it is stated that Edwin Booth should retain a furnished apartment for his own use where he could be left undisturbed as he wished. It was in that revered room on the third floor, remaining undisturbed still, that he died at 1 a.m. on a stormy night, June 7, 1893, aged 59.

Membership

Members of the Players included the local pillars of society of the day, prominent bankers, lawyers and businessmen, as well as those identified with other arts - writers, journalists, sculptors, architects, painters, and so forth. A board of directors was formed, and The Players was launched. Perhaps unknowingly, he helped to create an almost symbiotic relationship between American and British theatre tradition.

Presidents have included Joseph Jefferson,(who succeeded Booth as president after his death), John Drew Jr, Walter Hampden, Howard Lindsay, Dennis King, Alfred Drake, Roland Winters, Jose Ferrer, Robert Lansing, John Bartholomew Tucker pro tem, Michael Allinson and Lynn Redgrave. Current President Timothy Hutton resigned on June 5, 2008, due to work keeping him on the West Coast. New York producer and long time member Herb Blodgett has taken his place.

Members, past and present, include: Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), John Barrymore, Eugene O'Neill, James Cagney, Gregory Peck, Alfred Lunt, Walter Cronkite, Kevin Spacey, Judy Collins, Rue McClanahan, Angela Lansbury, Sidney Poitier, Tony Bennett, Carol Burnett, Dick Cavett, Billy Connolly, Hal Holbrook, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, Ben Gazzara, Christopher Plummer, Budd Schulberg, Ethan Hawke, Jimmy Fallon, Marian Seldes, Peter O'Toole, Rosemary Harris, and Sidney Zion.

Club activities

The Players serves as a social club while at the same time remaining steadfast in its duty as a repository of American and British theatre history, memorabilia, and theatrical artifacts. Today, it still holds its famed "Pipe Nights" honoring theatrical notables and maintains a kitchen and wine cellar and a billiard table in its usually busy Grill room. In the Dining Room, filled with portraits of theatre and film notables and rare playbills from the 19th and 20th centuries, a small stage has been built where members and people of the theatre can be honored; staged readings can take place and new works tried out.

The Players also gives the prestigious "Edwin Booth Life Achievement Award" to actors who have had a long, important body of theatre and film work. Past recipieints include: Helen Hayes, Jose Ferrer, Garson Kanin, Christopher Plummer, Jason Robards, Jack Lemmon, and Marian Seldes. In June 2007, Angela Lansbury was the recipient, and Edward Albee is scheduled to receive the award next.

Current condition

The Players is in the best financial and artistic shape since the 1980s. Its membership has reached nearly 1,000, it is open seven days a week, and serves meals on a daily basis. It is also home to the not-for-profit storytelling group "The Moth," as well as "The Naked Angels Theatre Company," and, after a successful run next door at the National Arts Club, the very popular "Food for Thought," which presents matinee and evening performances of new and classic plays.

References

External links

For the most accurate and updated information about The Players please check out its website:
* [http://www.theplayersnyc.org/ The Players website]
* [http://www.hampden-booth.org/ The Hampden-Booth Theatre Library]
* [http://www.jssgallery.org/Paintings/10218.html Painting of Booth by John Singer Sargent]
* [http://www.poetry-archive.com/a/sargents_portrait_of_edwin_booth.html Poem to Booth by Thomas Bailey Aldrich (1836-1906)]
* [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20A1EF63E5C0C718DDDA80994D8404482 NY Times 2000 report of Attorney General Investigation]
* [http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2006/jan/jan25b_06.html NY State Attorney General 2006 press release with Notice of Resolution]
* [http://www.surratt.org/documents/BSunTudor.pdf Harford County purchase of Tudor Hall]
* [http://www.nyc-architecture.com/GRP/GRP006.htm Stanford White architect]
* [http://www.theatrehistory.com/american/booth002.html Booth's Statue unveiled in Gramercy Park 1919]
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,769415,00.html Walter Hampden elected president Time Magazine 1928]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE6DC143FF933A05750C0A962958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fR%2fRedgrave%2c%20Lynn Redgrave made president 1994 NY Times]