Caffe Cino, a coffee house at 31 Cornelia Street in New York City's Greenwich Village, was at the center of the nascent Off Off-Broadway movement. Founded by Joe Cino in 1958, the Cino staged hundreds of plays, poetry readings, and musical revues. It closed in 1968, a year after the death of Joe Cino. Twenty-six oversized posters for productions at the Caffe Cino; many designed by Ken Burgess, but others by the playwrights themselves. Includes mixed media works of collage using pieces of glass, photos, paper cut-outs, newsprint, stickers, paint and aluminum foil. Productions represented include plays by Soren Agenoux, Diane Di Prima, Tom Eyen, Robert Heide, H.M. Koutoukas, David Starkweather and Lanford Wilson, among others.
Caffe Cino, a coffee house at 31 Cornelia Street in New York City's Greenwich Village, was the birthplace of Off Off-Broadway theatre. Founded by Joe Cino in 1958, the Cino staged hundreds of plays, poetry readings, and musical revues. It closed in 1968, a year after the death of Joe Cino. Caffe Cino is especially recognized as a site for for significant LGBTQ performance and culture.
Twenty-six oversized posters for productions at the Caffe Cino; many designed and created by artist Ken Burgess, but others created by the playwrights themselves. Includes mixed media works of collage using pieces of glass, photos, paper cut-outs, newsprint, stickers, paint and aluminum foil. Productions represented include plays by Soren Agenoux, Diane Di Prima, Tom Eyen, Robert Heide, H.M. Koutoukas, David Starkweather and Lanford Wilson, among others.
These posters were donated to the New York Public Library by the artists and other figures associated with the Caffe Cino. Most, if not all, were donated between 1982 and 1985, in advance of a major exhibition at the Library for the Performing Arts on the Caffe Cino, co-curated by Magie Dominic, an alumni of Caffe Cino, and Dorothy Swerdlove, curator of the Billy Rose Theatre Division.
Before requesting physical access, patrons are encouraged to consult the digital surrogates in the library's Digital Collections portal, available onsite at the library. Due to their size and fragility, posters are available for consultation by appointment only. Please email theatre@nypl.org to arrange an appointment.