SPEYER HALL

Welcome To Our Home!

For more information and to discuss bringing your event to Speyer Hall, contact Emma Rivera at ekrivera@universitysettlement.org

Speyer Hall, home of The Performance Project @ University Settlement, is a Lower East Side gem located within University Settlement’s landmark headquarters at 184 Eldridge Street, on the corner of Rivington. Speyer Hall is ideal for dance, theater, film, concerts and public events such as lectures/ storytelling events, celebrations, fundraisers and conferences or workshops. 

Speyer Hall has played host to a diverse number of events including:

  • Performance Mix Festival: A four-day celebration of dance, theater, and performing arts.
  • TILT Brass: Contemporary Chamber Music for Brass - an intimate brass music performance.
  • Dare To Run/WomenLead: How to Diversify the Pipeline of Women Leaders - a panel on promoting diversity among leadership roles for women.
  • Ladies Love Project Pop-Up Shop: A holiday craft fair showcasing work from local, independent artists.

FULL ROOM

LIGHTS IN USE

HOURLY RATES

Hourly rates range from $150-$250 depending on your event’s size and technical needs. We require a five-hour minimum for booking and week-long package rentals are available for performances. Speyer Hall is available to be rented on weekday evenings 6- 11pm and for the full day on Saturdays, with Sundays available for an additional fee. 

AMENITIES AND EQUIPMENT

All Speyer Hall performance and event rentals come with an experienced Speyer Hall technician who can assist you with lighting, sound, and projection-playback support. Our white box theater is ADA accessible and equipped with the following:

  • Repertory light plot set in place which includes new LED lighting to create that special look for your event
  • Full sound system with two wireless hand-held mics and additional hand-held wired mics to support an MC or a small band
  • A Steinway baby grand piano
  • Sprung wood floors
  • An 8000-lumen, LCD laser projector with an HDMI output
  • Three tiers of risers which seat 47 audience members, plus additional chairs for up to 104 seats
  • 10 6 ft. folding tables which can seat up to 6 people around them, for receptions, workshops, or conferences

APPRECIATIONS

University Settlement would like to acknowledge dancer/choreographer Risa Jaroslow, who led the renovation of Speyer Hall in the 1980s. Raising funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and an individual donor, Risa transformed what was then a little-used auditorium into a welcoming space for classes, rehearsals and performances from our programs and the downtown dance and performance community, in the process reviving University Settlement’s long-dormant Arts programs. She also started the Works in Progress series, which offered emerging and established artists an opportunity to share their work, including choreographers Ronald K Brown and Trajal Harrell and writers Eve Ensler, Sapphire, and Sharon Olds.

We’d also like to acknowledge Bill Blitzer, our long-time former board member, who made a special grant to support further renovations in 2007-2008, as well as early programming that led to the development of The Performance Project @ University Settlement.

 We are also grateful to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation for its significant investment in our most recent upgrade of Speyer Hall.

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