The Fort Jay Theater
Governors Island
On Governors Island, a boat ride away from the activities of New York City, entertainment could be hard to come by. Nevertheless, performances were a part of life on the Island for many years. Early performances took place in an old YMCA building near Castle Williams, then in the new YMCA (sill standing) next door to this theater. In 1939, a new movie theater was constructed under the supervision of the Army Motion Picture Service, which was responsible for theaters on bases across the country. First-run movies were shown here, as well as productions from an active live theater program. During 1941, draftees with experience in civilian theater were called on to produce and stage professional quality shows to raise troop morale.
In order to support the war effort, Broadway music composer Irving Berlin helped produce a show about World War II called “This is the Army.” The show was inspired by a performance he saw at the Fort Jay Theater in 1942. The theater continued to show movies to Army and then Coast Guard personnel and their families until the base closed in 1996. At that time, double features of first-run films on Friday night cost two dollars!
Marker is on Owasco Road, on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
