Theater 86

For nearly a decade, Theater 86 has been a home for rigorous, ensemble-driven theater. Many of you have been with us from the beginning—sitting in the room, watching the work grow, returning again and again.

In 2025, despite losing our long-time venue, the work did not stop. We produced The Snow Queen and The Master and Margarita, hosted Essence Theatre Studio's Kholstomer, developed The Three Musketeers, and closed the year with The Dragon. Alongside these productions, our Theater Lab students shared their work in showcases, and we continued to host readings of new plays and new voices.

This spring, that search for a new home came to an end. In April, we signed a new lease at 315 West 39th Street—nearly 2,000 square feet, just steps from Times Square, in the heart of New York City. It has been a race against time ever since: our landlord gave us four months to complete the build-out, and September 1st marks the day we begin paying full rent on the space.

This fundraiser is not about starting over. It is about carrying the work we have already built together into this new chapter—turning a lease into a home, and a home into a stage.

Funds raised will support:

Administrative expenses that allow the company to remain operational

If Theater 86 has mattered to you—if you have found something lasting in the room with us—we ask for your support as we open this next chapter. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at the link below.

With your help, the work continues—in a home we can finally call our own.

Who We Are

Theater 86 , also known as The Russian Arts Theater and Studio, is now raising funds for its 2025 season. Our theater is located on the second floor of the Center at West Park. We are the only theater on the Upper West Side that offers repertory theater at a low cost for New York theater-goers. This past year, Theater 86 has staged Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita to great critical acclaim on a shoe-string budget. Headed by visionary Artistic Director Aleksey Burago, Theater 86 also features an exemplary ensemble made up of artists from across the globe.

We are 100% funded by our box office and funds raised from our community. The money goes back directly into creating more work at Theater 86, offering an exciting and rare collection of shows for theater-goers. Our past productions have included Alexander Puskin's Mozart and Salieri, Dante Alighieri's Inferno, Nikolai Gogol's The Diary of a Madman, George Orwell's Animal Farm and more.

Why We Need Your Help!

In order to stay in our artistic home, Pushkin Hall, we must raise enough money to meet a rent raise of 20% or lose autonomy of our space. Money raised will go toward rent for our theater as well as funds required to stage our next big production: Alexandre Dumas' Three Musketeers!

We are grateful to your support -- no matter the amount! GoFundMe allows us to keep 100% of funds raised. Theater 86 is a 501 c organization and your donation is 100% tax deductible! Thank you for your support of the arts!