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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
RENAMES STAGE DOOR
IN HONOR OF FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY
AND
FORMER LCT BOARD CHAIR
JOHN V. LINDSAY
Download photos by Tricia Baron HERE.
TO DOWNLOAD VIDEO, CLICK HERE
New York, NY (October 7, 2025) – Yesterday, Lincoln Center Theater held a ceremony announcing the renaming of their stage door in honor of former Mayor of New York City and former LCT Board Chair, John V. Lindsay. Lindsay held the title of Board Chair of LCT from 1984 – 1991, a pivotal moment when this theater was effectively reborn due to his significant role in the rejuvenation of the theater. Lindsay passed away at the age of 79 on December 19, 2000.
LCT celebrated their 40th anniversary season as Lincoln Center Theater in 2025, marking the start date of their current organization as distinct from the previous 20 years of various start-and-stop theater enterprises in this space. Lindsay built a board and most importantly, hired Gregory Mosher as Director and Bernard Gersten as Producer.
In a letter to the LCT Board in 1985, Lindsay said, “In simple words: the Beaumont’s time has come. The arts world desperately wants us to succeed… I am encouraged – excited would be a better word — about our potential future. I know you must share my feelings as we move on to the tasks ahead.”
At the dedication ceremony, LCT Executive Producer, Barlett Sher shared, “As a person who grew up in the theater, the idea that you could name the stage door, of all places, after anybody is the highest tribute you can possibly imagine. John is part of the D.N.A. at LCT and it’s high time for his name to be a permanent fixture on the walls of the institution here.”
“We celebrate and honor the wonderful John V. Lindsay with those who will pass through this stage door now and for many years to come,” said Kate Burton, whose artistry has been a cornerstone of Lincoln Center Theater for decades and returns to the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater in Kyoto beginning October 8th. “All artists from today forward will walk through this door, see his name, and be reminded of this incredible legacy.”
Former Board Chair, Linda LeRoy Janklow, who was responsible for bringing Lindsay into LCT said, “The whole idea and concept of having John’s name on the stage door is just extraordinary. He was such a rare and special man, and this city and this particular theater owes him a great deal.”
To download video and photos from the ceremony, please click here.
LCT’s 40th anniversary gala – the Ruby Jubilee – honored André Bishop upon his retirement and also recognized all past board chairs (5 in all), starting with John Lindsay. Lindsay’s daughter, Margi Picotte, as well as other family members and former Lindsay staffers were in attendance to celebrate and also made a significant contribution to LCT for their 40th Anniversary campaign to honor their father. They chose to name the Stage Door, where all artists and staff enter the building on a daily basis.
ABOUT LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
LCT’s mission is to bring exceptional theater to life. Building on a legacy of artistic excellence, LCT strives to expand what is possible: to make the magic of theater more palpable, empowering visionary artists and extending the invitation for the community to join in celebrating the power of live performance. To see that mission to fruition in a new era at the New York institution, commencing with the current 2025-2026 season, Lear deBessonet assumes the role of Kewsong Lee Artistic Director, alongside Managing Director Mike Schleifer, Executive Producer Barlett Sher, Producer Nicole Kastrinos, Executive Director of Development and Planning Naomi Grabel, and LCT3 Artistic Director and Producer Maria Manuela Goyanes.
Following the season launch with the free Silent Disco Listening Party of the Warriors concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis held on July 30, 2025, deBessonet opens her inaugural season at the Vivian Beaumont Theater with a new production of her celebrated New York City Center Gala revival of Ragtime. The season will also include productions of Kyoto, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and The Whoopi Monologues at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater; The Comedy Series, Night Side Songs, A Woman Among Women and The Reading Series with LCT3 at the Claire Tow Theater; as well as expanded programming including collaborations with groundbreaking artists including Chef Kwame Onwuachi of Tatiana and one special benefit at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Founded in 1985 by Board Chair Hon. John V. Lindsay, Executive Producer Bernard Gersten and Director Gregory Mosher, and led for 33 years by André Bishop, LCT is one of the leading nonprofit theaters in the country, producing an annual season of plays and musicals that have been seen by millions around the globe. It is one of 11 autonomous constituents of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Each year, the three theaters that make up LCT welcome nearly 300,000 audience members to its home on the Lincoln Center campus.
Over the last 40 years, LCT and its outstanding productions have received many of the highest accolades, including 87 Tony Awards, 97 Drama Desk Awards, 79 Outer Critics Cricle Awards, 33 Obies, 11 NY Drama Critics Circle Awards, and one Pulitzer Prize, as well as two finalists.
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