Irene Lewisohn

Irene Lewisohn (September 5, 1886 – April 4, 1944) was the founder of the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Museum of Costume Art.^[1]

Irene Lewisohn
Born	(1886 -09-05)September 5, 1886 New York City
Died	April 4, 1944(1944-04-04) (aged 57) New York City
Known for	Neighborhood Playhouse Museum of Costume Art
Parent	Leonard Lewisohn
Relatives	Jesse Lewisohn (brother) Lillie Lewisohn Vogel (sister) Alice Lewisohn (sister) Adolph Lewisohn (uncle) Adele Lewisohn Lehman (cousin) Sam A. Lewisohn (cousin)

Biography

She was the daughter of Rosalie Jacobs and Leonard Lewisohn.^[2][3][4] Her father was of Jewish background. In 1905 she and her sister, Alice Lewisohn, began classes and club work at the Henry Street Settlement House in New York. They produced performances with both dance and drama. In 1915, they opened the Neighborhood Playhouse on the corner of Grand and Pitt Streets.^[5] There they offered training in both dance and drama to children and teenagers. Irene was in charge of the dance training and production, with the assistance of Blanche Talmud. Alice Lewisohn was in charge of the dramatic arts.^[6] In 1928 they opened The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre at 16 West Forty-sixth Street.^[7] Irene Lewisohn died in 1944.^[1][8][9]

Legacy

• The Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.^[10]