BAM Harvey Lichtenstein Theater

The Harvey’s interior, which looks freshly-bombed, is a surprise to many new visitors. But the neglected look is on purpose: From 1904-1968, this was The Majestic, an opulent playhouse which fell into disrepair and was boarded up for two decades. In 1984, Peter Brook and Harvey Lichtenstein decided it would be perfect to stage the 9-hour Mahabharata, and set to remodeling it in the style of Paris’ Le Bouffes du Nord. During renovations they decided to keep the ruined aesthetic, giving patrons a surreal bridge between the building’s history, and the contemporary performances onstage.