The Powder Room Set to Breathe New Life into Former Kraine Theater

A new cultural event space and community theater called The Powder Room is proposed to take over the East Village’s iconic Kraine Theater .

The Private Curtain Inc., owned by Denis Woychuk and Lori Schwarz , recently applied for a liquor license in the first-floor theater space at 85 East 4th Street. The duo has ties to two businesses currently operating within the same building. Woychuk owns and operates The Red Room nightclub and the KGB Bar on the upper two floors of the building at 2nd Avenue and Bowery.

Woychuk and Schwarz’s proposed conversion of the first floor into The Powder Room will only add to the building’s legacy as a hub of nightlife and performance culture.

While community members mourned the loss of Kraine Theater, the venue is set to take on a new identity as The Powder Room. Woychuk founded Kraine Theater in 1984 and even created a performance troupe called Horse Trade Theater Group. Now known as FRIGID New York , the group performed in Kraine Theater for well over 20 years until their residency wrapped at the end of last year. With new plans for the space, Woychuk and Schwarz are getting in position to rejuvenate the venue for its next act.

According to details found in a liquor license application submitted to Manhattan Community Board 3, The Powder Room would have theater-style seating for 65 people. The facility would host jazz and acoustic music performances as well as speakers for enriching cultural entertainment. Two bars in The Powder Room would give patrons the chance to pick up alcoholic beverages or select from a menu of small bites.

The Powder Room will only add to the entertainment options you might find at 2nd Avenue and Bowery. The KGB Bar, officially the Kraine Gallery Bar, opened in 1993 and has since cemented itself as a literary hub in the East Village. The Red Room opened in 2014 serving classic cocktails and hosting prohibition-era burlesque, contemporary comedy shows, and live music.

The owners of The Powder Room did not immediately reply to outreach from What Now NY . While The Powder Room has yet to announce an opening date, patrons can expect the events space to be open Sunday through Wednesday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 4 a.m. once its doors open.

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