Chad Lawson Cooper, a renowned movie producer and national playwright based in New York City, has made an offer of $20 million to acquire The Paul Robeson Theatre. Founded in 1980 and named in honor of the esteemed African-American singer and actor Paul Robeson, the theater showcased poetry, plays, and various works by black artists for over 25 years. However, it ceased operations following the passing of its owner, Dr. Josephine English, in 2011.
Despite the theater’s closure, Dr. English’s family continued to host summer concerts and open mic nights in the lower level of the venue until two weeks ago, when the building was listed for rent, as noted by Crews.
The church that houses the theater has a rich history, having first served as the Fourth Universalist Society of Brooklyn, which renamed it the Church of the Redeemer. It later became Temple Israel before being acquired by the Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn, and eventually sold to Dr. English, who transformed it into a theater, according to Brownstoner.
The current owner, Barry English, was unavailable for comment. As the CEO of The Chad Cooper Company, which operates on Broadway in Times Square and in Battery Park, New York, Cooper intends to purchase at least 20 theaters across the country. His objective is to provide programming and training in the arts specifically for underprivileged African American youth.
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