National Theatre is a public theatre in downtown Washington, D.C., just east of the White House. The theatre functions as a venue for live stage productions and has a seating capacity of 1,676.

Venue: National Theatre
Address: 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20004
Town: Washington, D.C., US
Capacity: 1,705

National Theatre is a public theatre in downtown Washington, D.C., just east of the White House. The theatre functions as a venue for live stage productions and has a seating capacity of 1,676. Despite its name, it is not a government-funded national theatre, and instead operates as a private, non-profit organization. Founded in 1835, National Theatre is the second-oldest continuously operating theater company in the United States after Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, which was founded in 1808. The original theatre was destroyed by fire in 1873. It was quickly rebuilt, but this second structure was destroyed in a second fire in 1885. A third structure opened as the New National Theatre in 1885 and operated under this name into the 1920s. In 1922 a major renovation and expansion was undertaken of that theatre which remains the current theatre. National Theatre was founded on December 7, 1835, by William Wilson Corcoran and other prominent citizens who wanted the national capital to have a first-rate theatre. The theatre's initial production was Man of the World. It was purchased in 1844 by Benjamin Ogle Tayloe of the B.O. Tayloe House for $13,950. The theatre has been in almost continuous operation since, at the same Pennsylvania Avenue location a few blocks from the White House. Its name was changed at times to "Grover's National Theatre," and "Grover's Theatre" when it was managed by Leonard Grover. Actor Joseph Jefferson managed the theatre at one time. The structure has been rebuilt several times, including partial reconstructions after five fires in the 19th century. The current building, at 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, was constructed in 1923, opening in September of that year. Located three blocks from the White House, the theater has entertained every U.S. President since Andrew Jackson. On April 14, 1865, Tad Lincoln was attending a performance of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp at Grover's Theater when his father, President Abraham Lincoln, was assass