Once a bustling hub for pilots during World War II, the Hangar Theatre has transformed from an aviation site into a vibrant stage, now echoing with 50 years of theatrical performances and serving as a beacon for the Ithaca arts community.
Tucked behind Cass Park, the Hangar brings together renowned theatre professionals and trains budding artists in New York’s Finger Lakes region. In 2024, mainstage performances included “Todd vs. The Titanic,” “Ragtime: The Musical” and “Ride the Cyclone.” Founded by the Ithaca community, the Hangar Theatre aims to inspire the community with “work and classes that enrich, entertain, and enlighten,” as written in its mission statement.
Originally built in 1912 as a single hangar and airstrip, the Ithaca Municipal Airport hosted over 4,000 training pilots during World War II. An ideal airplane testing site, the airport was expanded to address increasing popularity during the Great Depression.
However, by 1948, Cornell University’s East Hill airport had become the region’s aviation site and the hangar was repurposed as a storage facility for city equipment in 1966.
Around this time, community members formed the Center for the Arts at Ithaca and repurposed the airport hangar into their headquarters. The CAI began performing improvisation and traditional theater at the hangar site, calling it the “Hangar Playfair.” While the Hangar Playfair initiative did not gain much traction, it set the stage for the theater and art that would follow.
In 1973, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R-N.Y.) personally donated $100,000 to renovate the hangar, alongside other donors — including Cornell. The Hangar opened its doors with a performance of “Man of La Mancha”on July 11, 1975.
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“I’ve heard from so many people whose lives were enhanced by the theater, who are now raising their kids and grandkids in this community,” said Lisa Bushlow ’91, the first education director and executive director of the Hangar Theatre, now a senior director for Alumni Affairs at Cornell.
Bushlow was introduced to the Hangar Theatre by Cornell faculty she met through her interdisciplinary major — which combined theater, child development and education.
Bushlow worked at the Hangar for two summers with the Hangar’s KIDDSTUFF and Lab Company programs — immersive programs designated to rising theater professionals. At the time, the theater had recently introduced its Next Generation School of Theatre program. In an emailed statement to The Sun, Bushlow noted that the program initially enrolled about eight children — now she says there are hundreds.
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“It was at the Hangar that I discovered the impact that professional theater could have on a community,” Bushlow said. “Fostering and deepening community connections has always been critical to the Hangar’s success.”
Hugo Keil ’27, who attended “Ride the Cyclone” and a Haley Heynderickx concert at the Hangar Theatre, reflected on the strong sense of community he experienced.
“It was just a great space to be in, and it was a lot of people I’ve seen around the community,” he said.
Bushlow remained in Ithaca to work with the Hangar Theatre to design a new, year-round education program that could reach the Tompkins County community and beyond.
The University continues to maintain its ties with the theater through sponsorship, ads, promotions and renting out the Schwartz Center over the summer. Shirley Serotsky, Hangar Theatre Producing Artistic Director, explained that the Hangar Theatre’s relationship with Cornell is “pretty transactional,” and expressed hope that it “can move into something more meaningful.”
The Hangar typically hosts a number of performers with a roster of Broadway credits — such as Erin Davie, who performed in six Broadway shows and starred in “Ragtime: The Musical,” at the theater — as well as a mix of professional artists who create and work in Ithaca and New York at large.
“Members of the Hangar family understood the vital role that theatre plays in our collective lives,” Bushlow wrote, “and in the health of our community.”
Cereese Qusba ’27 is a Sun staff writer and can be reached at [email protected].