The Players (New York City)

The Players Club, The player actually, is a New York club in the United States.

Background

The club in the style of British Gentlemen's Clubs was founded by actor Edwin Booth, the brother of Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth. He acquired in 1847 a villa on Gramercy Park. While he occupied the top floor, the rest of the property was used as a clubhouse.

The aim of the founding of the Association, was inspired by London's Garrick Club, actors with other variables such as industrialists, bankers, writers and creative people to bring various other professions in contact, to encourage an exchange of views and to devote himself to the American and British theater history and art. The Players Club has approximately 1,000 members, including the likes of Roger Moore, Ethan Hawke, Kevin Spacey or Sidney Poitier, a well-known former member was Mark Twain.

Building

The clubhouse at the Gramercy Park was built in 1844 in Renaissance style, the interior later remodeled by Stanford White. It contains a comprehensive collection of art and theater articles and was admitted in 1962 as a National Historic Landmark on the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of 108 historic sites in New York City.

Players Club Award

The Players regularly awards the prestigious Edwin Booth Life Achievement Award, the previously received under other Christopher Plummer, Jack Lemmon or Angela Lansbury.