Charles Playhouse, Theatre in Boston, United States
The Charles Playhouse is a theater on Warrenton Street in Boston's Theater District. It has two separate performance spaces under one roof, a larger main stage and a smaller second stage, which allows two different productions to run at the same time.
The building was constructed in 1839 as a church designed by Asher Benjamin, then served as a synagogue before being converted into a theater in 1957. Each change of use left traces in the structure that visitors can still notice today.
The Charles Playhouse sits in Boston's Theater District, a compact stretch of streets where several stages stand close together. Visitors walking along Warrenton Street will notice crowds gathering before and after shows, filling the nearby bars and restaurants.
The theater is easy to reach on foot from central Boston, with several subway stops a short walk away. If you drive, a few parking garages are available nearby, though public transit tends to be the simpler option.
Before it became a theater, the building served as a jazz club where Count Basie and Duke Ellington performed on the same stage that now hosts plays. Few people in the audience today know they are sitting in a room that once echoed with live jazz.
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