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Caffe Cino

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Coordinates: 40°43′52.6″N 74°00′10.5″W / 40.731278°N 74.002917°W / 40.731278; -74.002917
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Caffe Cino
Map
Address31 Cornelia St.
New York City
United States
Coordinates40°43′52.6″N 74°00′10.5″W / 40.731278°N 74.002917°W / 40.731278; -74.002917
OperatorJoe Cino
TypeOff-Broadway theatre
Opened1958
Closed1968
Website
caffecino.wordpress.com

Caffe Cino was an Off-Off-Broadway theater founded in 1958 by Joe Cino. The West Village coffeehouse, located at 31 Cornelia Street, was initially conceived as a venue for poetry, folk music, and visual art exhibitions. The plays produced at the Cino, however, became most prominent, and it is now considered the "birthplace of Off-Off-Broadway".[1]

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 9, 2017.[2]

Beginnings and early productions

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A plaque indicating that Caffe Cino was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2017

Joe Cino was born into an Italian-American family, and moved from Buffalo, New York to be a dancer in New York City. After 10 years, he used his $400 in savings and opened the Caffe Cino Art Gallery.[3] Initially, Cino encouraged his friends to hang their artwork on the walls. That led to poetry readings, which led to staged readings and eventually to productions of plays.[4]

During the early days of the Cino, plays were produced on the floor. A makeshift 8x8-foot stage was later created using milk cartons and carpet remnants. Productions were initially limited to 30 minutes, and the audience could stand anywhere. The space was only 18x30-feet, and audience members often perched atop the cigarette machine.[3] Admission was one dollar, and audience members were offered a coffee and an Italian pastry along with the show.[4]

Fire and Cino's death

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Interior of Bombay Bistro, formerly Cafe Cino

On Ash Wednesday, March 3, 1965, a fire destroyed the interior of the Cino. The building's structure was not affected. A new lighting system had been installed, along with the fireproofing of the Caffe's ceiling, which prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the tenement building.[5] The official cause of the fire was a gas leak, but some suspected that Cino's lover set the fire. The community raised money by staging benefit performances while the Caffe was closed for renovations.[1] Ellen Stewart, founder of La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, offered Cino and his staff a space to continue Caffe Cino productions on Sunday and Monday nights at her theater.[5]

Joe Cino died three days after repeatedly stabbing himself in 1967.[3]

Notable contributors

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The Caffe Cino was an incubator for first-time directors, playwrights, actors, and lighting or set designers. Many continued to work in stage, screen, or both after the Cino closed. Notable contributors include:

References

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  1. ^ a b Steven McElroy (December 7, 2001). "Portal to Off Off Broadway's Early Days". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  2. ^ "National Register Information System – Caffe Cino (#100001802)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  3. ^ a b Dusica Sue Malesevic (December 2, 2015). "'Magic Time' at the Caffe Cino". The Villager (Manhattan). Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Tony Ortega (September 10, 2009). "Caffe Cino Goes Up in Smoke". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ^ Jimmy McDonough (2001). The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Andy Milligan. Chicago: A Cappella. ISBN 9781556524950.
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