Off-Broadway's Tony Kiser Theater, which through 2024 was operated by Second Stage Theater, will continue on as a theatrical space after all. Tony and Olivier-winning production company Seaview has acquired the historic Rem Koolhaas-designed building and will rechristen it Studio Seaview.

The space will relaunch with a spring production to be directed by Sam Gold. The title and its performance dates are to be announced.

The move will be a first for Seaview, though they are no stranger to Off-Broadway producing. Among their list of projects: serving as lead producer on Hold Onto Me Darling, Danny and the Deep Bluer Sea, and the 2017 Barrow Street Sweeney Todd. 

“Seaview is thrilled to take on this exciting new venture,” says Seaview Co-Founder and CEO Greg Nobile in a statement. “Seaview has been lucky enough to be working Off-Broadway since the company’s inception. We are proud to join the community of theatre operators and producers to bring more bold work to the city.

“Our approach to Studio Seaview is one that prioritizes both the artistic process and the audience experience. We want this space to be a place where groundbreaking work can come to life—where the traditional barriers of the theatre are removed, and creativity flourishes. We are obsessed with creating an environment where people are excited to inhabit. We believe the experience of going to the theatre should be just as unique as the work itself, and we’re excited to create that experience at Studio Seaview."

“We are proud to continue the legacy of the Tony Kiser Theatre, and the extraordinary work created there over these past 25 years under the leadership of Second Stage Theater by some of our industry’s most exceptional writers, creatives, performers, and practitioners,” adds Seaview Chief Operating Officer Nate Koch. “This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to the renaissance of Off-Broadway—to keep a beloved, historic theatre intact while expanding our ability as a company to showcase exceptional creativity, in an intimate setting, and without the constraints of a traditional Broadway model.”

Tony-winning designer Scott Pask will oversee a refurbishment of the venue's insides while maintaining Koolhaas's iconic 1999 design, created in association with Richard Gluckman. Planned improvements include a refreshed entry lobby and bar area. The venue's seating capacity will remain at 296. The company plans to present productions on an individual basis rather than as part of a set season.

The company has tapped former Second Stage Managing Director Carol Fishman to serve as Seaview Studio's general manager. In that role, Fishman will oversee the space's transformation. The building originally opened in 1927 as a bank, becoming Second Stage Theater's flagship Off-Broadway space in 1999, a transformation also overseen by Fishman.

Visit StudioSeaview.com.