Hayes Theater New York
Hayes Theater Tickets
What’s On at Hayes Theater
At the Hayes Theater, the season kicks off with Cult of Love, a brutal comedy by Leslye Headland, playing until February 2025. This Broadway debut brings the dysfunctional Dahl siblings into the spotlight during a chaotic family Christmas. The play is a darkly humorous and poignant exploration of family, religious fervor, and the messiness of adulthood, guaranteed to leave audiences laughing!
From February 2025, the theater will be buzzing with the transfer of Purpose, the explosive new play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. A hit at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, this Tony-winning playwright’s sharp comedy-drama centers on an influential Black political family and the secrets threatening their legacy. If you’ve been following the “white-hot writer of the moment,” (Chicago Tribune) you won’t want to miss this gripping family saga.
About the Hayes Theater
The Hayes Theater is officially the smallest on Broadway, which explains why it was originally called the Little Theatre when it opened in 1912. The goal of the Little Theatre was to present smaller-scale productions, rather than the large, elaborate musicals that would come to dominate Broadway.
Harry Creighton Ingalls, of Ingalls & Hoffman, was the architect behind the original design, which seated only 300. It was first redesigned in the 1920s by Herbert J. Krapp, increasing capacity to 590. After being sold to the New York Times for use as a conference hall in 1931, then being bought by Martin Markinson and Donald Tick in 1979, the smaller-scale was renamed the Helen Hayes Theater in 1983, to honour the legendary film and stage actress of the same name.
In 2015 the Helen Hayes Theater was officially sold to Second Stage Theater Company, one of only four non-profit theatre companies operating on Broadway. The theatre was renamed The Hayes Theater in 2018. The first production under Second Stage was 2018’s Lobby Hero written by Kenneth Lonergan (screenwriter of Gangs of New York), featuring movie stars Michael Cera and Chris Evans.
Recently renovated and modernised, the Hayes Theater is a charming, intimate theatre that now focuses on an output of contemporary plays by living American playwrights.
Know Before You Go
• The Hayes Theater does not offer a coat check service
Map and Address
240 W 44th Street, New York, 10036
The address of the Hayes Theatre is 240 West 44th Street, around the corner from Times Square and surrounded by other venues such as the Shubert Theatre and St. James Theatre. Some notable nearby restaurants include Ellen’s Stardust Diner, Russian Samovar and Blue Fin. The central Broadway location is easily accessible from the subway and buses, Several parking garages are nearby but, as with any other venue, it is recommended to arrive and park several hours before the show if you want to ensure you get a space.
